


You're Somebody to Me

by MatchaVanilla



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Highschool AU, M/M, Modern AU, Romantic-focus, happy ending!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-15
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-24 17:13:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 44,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9773927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MatchaVanilla/pseuds/MatchaVanilla
Summary: Axel runs afoul of four Heartless thugs on his way home, but a quiet blond intervenes. Turns out, he goes to the redhead's school, too. Two damaged hearts form an unshakable bond.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Kingdom Hearts.
> 
> Dedicated to the super aesthetically-pleasing waiter at my local Red Robin. You really do have the best hair.

Chapter 1

 

Ragged, panting breaths and pounding footsteps broke the silence along the moonlit suburban street. Circles of lamplight splayed across the sidewalk, momentarily but frequently illuminating the figure of a lanky redhead with wild spikey hair as he stumbled down the lane. From dim light to dim light he went, clutching at his side and squinting ahead in desperate search of reprieve. The thundering sound of pursuit hadn't caught him yet, but he knew it wasn't far behind.

 

The night had begun with such promise, but it was no longer young and no longer going well. Axel had been walking home slowly, enjoying the quiet atmosphere, when the battered old sedan had coasted to a stop along the curb ahead of him. He hadn't realized how screwed he was until all four doors opened and his path was immediately blocked by four darkly-clad thugs bearing the broken heart insignia. Heartless. They'd been more active lately, Axel knew, but this part of town had always been considered neutral territory. Apparently tonight was going to mark the first incident in the quiet suburbs.

 

Before he could get in a smart-ass remark, or even finish grinning to hide the dread rising in his chest, the fight began.

 

Unfortunately, Axel's strategy was to hit hard, hit fast, and hope that he hit harder and faster than his opponent; defense was definitely not his forte. Tonight he was outnumbered and outgunned, so to speak, as each of the Heartless carried a knife, brass knuckles or, in one case, a crowbar. Falling back on his Plan B, Axel promptly broke from the fight and took off like his life depended on it, since it probably did. He was fast for such a skinny bugger and it'd be hard for them to track him once he got off the well lit street, so Axel had run for it.

 

Gasping for breath, he looked over his shoulder in despair; the trail of blood was hindering his escape as effectively as the cut in his side that made the telltale drips. He was fucked and he knew it, but giving up was the same as committing suicide. Axel had never been that kind of guy, and he didn't intend to start now. Turning back around to continue his flight, Axel took three steps before stopping dead in his tracks.

 

The little blond had come out of nowhere; or, at least, out of the darkness beyond the street lamps. Surprise widened his big, impossibly blue eyes, mirroring the expression that had appeared on Axel's face at the sight of him. "Shit," the redhead cursed aloud, his left eye closing as blood streamed from the cut on his temple.

 

At any other moment, Axel probably would have been interested in seeing such a cute guy. Now, however, he wished the adjective affixed to the blond was something more like _tough_ or _bad-ass_. He would have accepted simply _intimidating_ or _surrounded by friends_ , at that point. Anything that suggested the blond kid was capable of making four armed assailants turn tail and run. This kid looked more like someone who would try to help Axel with his chemistry homework. He didn't stand a chance.

 

"Run," Axel advised, managing to get the word out through gritted teeth before trying to turn the resulting grimace of pain into a passable grin. No need for this kid to get caught up in the crossfire. Maybe he'd even call the cops. Axel would even be happy to see them just now, if it meant saving his ass.

 

Instead, the blond stood there and stared at Axel for a second longer, a half-filled plastic grocery bag held loosely at his side. His blue eyes seemed to take in each of Axel's wounds before... changing, somehow. Not that Axel could put his finger on how, at the moment, but the blond suddenly looked more certain of something. The meager bag was dropped to the pavement a moment later, its muffled thump drowned out by the sound of heavily approaching footfalls that filled the silence.

 

Just as he'd thought, the trail of blood had lead the Heartless right to him. Again: shit. Now, at the very least, Axel had to hold them all off long enough for the blond to get away unscathed. "Alright, fuckers - " He began, gathering himself and standing tall, ignoring the pain, just before he was interrupted by a smooth, almost indifferent voice.

 

"I don't like cowards who only attack in packs," the blond was saying, moving to stand next to Axel in the gloom beyond the lamplight, "How 'bout I help even the odds?"

 

Now, he was flattered by the offer, really, but in Axel's world, four people still outnumbered two by a fair margin. The fact that there was no one else to make up the numbers didn't escape him, but having only one person thrashed, rather than two, seemed an easier pill to swallow. However unfortunate it was for his mathematical understanding of reality, it was fortunate for Axel's life expectancy that the Heartless didn't give him time to voice any of those thoughts; instead, they started to advance again... and the blond proved himself more than capable.

 

He was cute _and_ bad-ass.

 

It was, Axel thought later, almost like watching a dance. The blond's hand would snap out and a Heartless would fall back in response, though it didn't look as though he'd even been touched. Advance, dodge, weave, advance again; the pattern was beautiful. For more than a stunned moment the redhead watched the fight, completely disconnected from the reality of the situation. He was being saved (let's be honest) by an adorable, innocent-looking blond teenager who must be at least three or four years younger than he was. Axel was, well, in awe.

 

The fight didn't remain a spectator sport forever; soon enough, one of the Heartless judged Axel an easy mark and came for him again. However even the numbers were, Axel was hurt and much slower than usual. It was a struggle to keep going, but adrenaline rose in his body and gave his limbs new strength. He struck out desperately, stumbling back to avoid the blows aimed for his face and trying to keep his feet under him.

 

A wild punch struck his injured temple, but Axel got the Heartless right on the nose, breaking it easily; the resulting roar of pain hurt Axel almost as much as the blow to the head had. He cursed and staggered, grabbing at his injured head with both hands; he wouldn't be able to stay upright much longer.

 

But the fight had already ended. The small blond had made things difficult, which made the Heartless reconsider their options. Just like predators in the animal world, their easy meal had been thwarted, so they turned tail and left in search of weaker prey. Their retreat left Axel weak in the knees, with a thundering headache, and literally shaking with relief. And probably blood-loss.

 

Definitely blood-loss. Before he could thank the blond, or ask his name, or anything beyond turning his aching head vaguely in that direction, Axel was sinking to his knees, vision blurring and thoughts swimming. He could hear a voice - saying something; was that his name? - but found that he was unable to answer. No, all Axel could do was sink into the dark oblivion of an adrenaline crash, holding onto his last impression before unconsciousness: big, beautiful blue eyes.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The blue eyes were gone. Axel came back to himself with a start, sitting up and casting his gaze about wildly. He was no longer outside, he noticed first, but in a dimly lit room. The only light source was actually through a doorway and, apparently, down the hall. The couch he'd been reclined on was comfortable and clean, so this definitely wasn't his house and it definitely wasn't a hospital. So what in hell...

 

Carefully, to avoid aggravating his injuries, Axel levered himself up from his laying position, turning so that his feet swung down to the carpeted floor. It took a moment, then, for Axel to catch his breath - from such a small exertion; he felt pathetic - but soon enough he was able to brace his hands on the soft cushions and push himself up to stand.

 

His wounds had been treated. Finding a reflective surface, which happened to be a dark television screen, Axel saw that a bandage had been secured over the gash on his forehead. That prompted him to check the rest of his wounds and, sure enough, there were bandages wrapped around his abdomen and forearm, concealing the cuts there. Someone had fixed him up.

 

Venturing toward the glow from the other room, Axel rounded the corner, finding himself in a rather clean, spacious kitchen. There, standing at the sink washing potatoes, was the little blond who had saved him before; memories came flooding back at the sight of him. This must be his home... but, Axel glanced around to confirm, there was no one else here. Did he live alone? How old was he, then?

 

Before Axel could announce his presence, the blond gathered up the washed potatoes and turned, catching sight of him. "Uh - hey," Axel offered weakly, feeling like an intruder. Only the ghost of his usual grin crossed his lips.

 

"Hey," came the measured response. The blond strode across the tile floor to a dining room table and set the potatoes down on a plastic cutting board. Then, looking back to Axel, he pulled out one of the dining room chairs and paused, meaningfully.

 

Blinking, Axel hesitated, then lurched forward in a slow walk, crossing to the table. "Thanks," he murmured, sitting in the offered seat. Out of the corner of his eye, Axel could have sworn that he saw the blond smile softly; when he looked properly, his host had already turned away. He padded barefoot across the tile, to the kitchen counter, and seemed to busy himself.

 

Not for long, though. He soon returned, holding both a small trashcan and... a potato peeler. "Here," he passed the peeler to Axel and set the bin on the floor nearby. It needed no further explanation, but the blond added, with a slight smirk, "Make yourself useful while I get the rest going."

 

The laugh that escaped Axel's chest hurt his side a bit, but he couldn't hold it back. The kid had saved his ass, bandaged him up, and was now putting him to work peeling potatoes. Did that mean, Axel wondered as he began to work, that he'd be staying for dinner? That would be... really nice.

 

For a while, the only sounds were of dinner preparations; the scrape of a knife or the soft sound of a long, curly peel landing in the trash. It was a nice silence though. Companionable, rather than awkward. Axel's attention drifted between his hands, making sure that he didn't get another cut tonight, and his companion. For his part, the blond just went about getting dinner ready; some sort of soup, by the look of it. He was quiet and, apparently, deep in thought. Axel wondered what his savior thought of him.

 

His savior...

 

"What's your name?" Axel asked finally, when the blond came to retrieve the peeled potatoes. The redhead nearly blushed under the resulting stare, but he held the blond's gaze, privately marveling over those beautiful eyes yet again. As the moment dragged on, he didn't think he was going to get an answer, until...

 

"Roxas."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kids still act like this in high school, right? It's been a while.
> 
> Dedicated to all the people that I've loved and lost. Every day, I thank God that none of you are in my life anymore.

Chapter 2

 

Demyx let out a high-pitched squeal of glee as he listened to the story that following Monday morning, his hands clasped together in delight. Romance was his all-time favorite conversation topic. "What happened next? What happened next??" He demanded, eyes wide and gaze fixed on Axel, desperate to hear more. He was bouncing, practically vibrating, with impatience.

 

"Then... we ate," the redhead answered with a shrug, feeling self-conscious, "It was nice. Then, I said goodbye and I walked home." That was the part that he already regretted. What if he never saw Roxas again? Or if he did; what would he even say to him? He'd thought that leaving quietly was the best plan, but now he was kicking himself. Why had he just let it go like that?

 

From the look on Demyx's face, he agreed. His hopeful, excited expression had melted away in ten seconds flat and been replaced by extreme disappointment. As if Axel had purposefully made a mess of everything _just_ to mess with him. Even Zexion, who had been reading through his history notes until now, looked up and raised an incredulous eyebrow; Demyx was starting to rub off on him.

 

"What??" Axel demanded, his tone defensive and his face heating up with embarrassment.

 

"You _walked away_ from _true love_!" Demyx pointed out in scathing, enunciated tones, gesturing wildly for emphasis. It would have been a funny sight, if Axel hadn't agreed with him.

 

Zexion closed his notebook and interjected; "Maybe not _true_ love, yet, but the chance for it, at least." Funny enough, Zexion was a big believer in the power of love. He'd been pretty doom and gloom until Demyx had bounced his way into his life; now, he was more than willing to back his boyfriend up at Axel's expense. The redhead visibly wilted under their disdain for his actions.

 

"Crap," He cursed mildly, reaching up to run a hand through his spiked red hair. It felt like the understatement of the century. "So... what should I do?" He asked, appealing for help.

 

"Grow a brain?" Zexion suggested mildly, sarcasm shining bright even in the early morning light, "Or maybe a spine."

 

"Talk to him!" Demyx burst out at the exact same moment, his tone of voice insinuating that the answer was so totally obvious.

 

Axel shot Zexion an accusatory glare. "Not helpful," he informed him sourly before turning to Demyx and pointing out, "I don't know if I'll ever see him again; that's the problem. Hell, I don't know if I could find his _house_ again, even if I was desperate enough to try." Showing up on Roxas's doorstep, unannounced and uninvited, didn't exactly feel like the right way to make a good second impression.

 

"This city isn't that big," Demyx pointed out with a grin, looking like the cat that got the canary, "I'm sure you'll see him again before too long; just be ready for it, next time!" It was amazing how cheerful he could be, since it wasn't his problem, Axel thought. Before he could reply in a suitably skeptical manner, however, the morning bell rang. "Whoops!" Demyx popped up from the bench like a jack-in-the-box, "Time for algebra!" He reached out a hand in a silent offer to help Zexion to his feet, "C'mon Zex."

 

Taking his boyfriend's hand, Zexion pulled himself up and paused to brush off his pants. "Don't worry about it too much," he advised Axel, more seriously this time, "You're..." he searched for the right word, "Charismatic. If it's meant to happen, it will."

 

Axel smirked at that, though there was a note of self-depreciation in his eyes when he responded, "Yeah... Thanks Zex." With a languid wave, the redhead turned and started to walk off in the direction of his own first class, knowing, just _knowing_ , that Demyx and Zexion were holding hands and staring, love-struck, into one another's eyes on the way to the math building.

 

As he thought about it, Axel's smirk slowly faded away and a dark frown took its place. He hated the jealousy he felt, just then.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Hollow Bastion High operated on a block schedule system, which was supposed to prepare the students for marathon college lectures. Basically, everyone had four classes a day and each one was an hour and a half long. Axel liked it; there was way less homework to worry about. He had world history in the morning, followed by AP chemistry, then gym and, finally, the coveted fourth-period dismissal. Dismissal was basically study hall, except everyone just said _fuck it_ and went home early.

 

Of course, that also meant that the torturous subjects seemed to take even longer to end. That morning, Axel was in history class struggling to ignore the dull, throbbing pain in his side, concentrate, and at least _look_ attentive at the same time. He needed a plan to find Roxas again - one that would give him ample opportunity to demonstrate why he was worth getting to know better. Unfortunately, his monotone history teacher was entirely unsympathetic; droning on and on about some war that happened sometime... somewhere. Axel had far more current and pressing concerns. So he ended up spending the majority of class doodling in his notebook, idly fiddling with the zipper on his hoodie, or staring thoughtfully out the window.

 

The entire school was made up of single-story buildings, divided into classrooms that were grouped together by type. For example, all the math classes were, appropriately, located in the Math Wing. So the window in question - the one that held Axel's attention better than his teacher had ever managed - had a nice little view of the adjacent English Wing, along with the small area between the two buildings that just barely passed for a garden; there were a few scrawny trees and half-bloomed flowers, anyway. But today... today, all that window-gazing _almost_ paid off.

 

There were about fifteen minutes left in first period - so... close...! - and Axel found himself spacing out, his eyes on the single dingy window that gave captive students a glimpse of the outside world. Then a flash of blond hair and, Axel swore, bright blue eyes went by.

 

... _Roxas_?

 

Without pausing to think of how _astronomically_ implausible it was to see the _very_ blond who occupied his thoughts at that _exact_ moment, Axel rose suddenly to his feet, his chair making a scuffing noise against the cheap linoleum that alerted the entire class to his movement. Every student turned in their desk to stare at the interruption. "Axel?" The professor questioned, actually stopping his lecture and turning around. The redhead paid him no heed. Instead, he stood there for half a moment, still as a board, before daring to hope. On a sudden impulse, he made his way to the front of the class, eyes still glued to the window though the figure had passed out of sight by now.

 

"Axel?" The professor tried again, the slight frown on his face giving his voice an actual note of irritation. Again, Axel ignored him, intent on making his way out of the classroom. He kicked a backpack that had migrated into the aisle - which was, subsequently, into his path - and reached for the door handle, yanking it open. One last time, just as he ducked out of the history room and let the door swing shut behind him, there was an honest-to-goodness shout of, "Axel? Axel!" and a defeated, "...Alright then."

 

Outside in the hallway, Axel ran along the row of closed doors and dingy windows, trying to catch sight of Roxas again - if it really _was_ Roxas. There was a distinct possibility that some other blond had walked by and that Axel was projecting, but he tried not to think about how big a desperate idiot that would make him. Nope, not gonna think about that at all. Instead, he glanced around, left and right, wishing that he'd gotten out of the classroom faster.

 

No sign of him. The hallway was still deserted - which wasn't strange, given that class hadn't ended - so there were no crowds to search through. It should have been easy to spot a single blond walking around... Maybe Axel really _had_ been imagining things.

 

He looked for the entire last fifteen minutes of first period, checking bathrooms, glancing through windows, and pretty much doing everything short of barging into in-session classes. Anyone with blond hair got a second glance, but none were the blond Axel was looking for. Still, he only gave up when the bell rang and students started filing out of their first class and on to their second.

 

Time to admit defeat. The walk back to his history class was surprisingly disappointing; Axel found that he was scowling, staring fixedly at the ground as he walked. He _really_ wanted to meet Roxas again.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

There was a pink detention slip laying on top of Axel's things when he went back to retrieve them from the history classroom. Fucking dammit....


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Formatting between Word Pad and Microsoft Word is the bane of my existence. 
> 
> Dedicated to my mentor, Aaron, who taught my stupid seventeen-year-old ass that I didn't, in fact, know everything. Wherever you are now, I hope that you're happy.

Chapter 3

  
Axel's brooding continued throughout his AP Chemistry class, which was strange, for him. Usually, he really enjoyed chemistry - especially on lab days - and had no trouble paying attention or participating. Today, after the events at the end of first period, his thoughts were wandering far and wide, focused on a single blond. Yes, he knew that was contradictory, but it was true nonetheless.

  
He wasn't obsessed with Roxas, he told himself. Really, he just thought that the blond was interesting and he wanted to meet him again. It wasn't anything, y'know, _cheesy_ , like love at first sight. Nope. Axel was just bored with the same old thing, and he sensed that Roxas was someone that would shake things up, in a good way. Besides, he sometimes felt like the third wheel around Demyx and Zexion; it'd be nice to have someone else to hang out with, for a change.

  
The fact that Roxas had gotten Axel out of a tight jam was a bonus. At the very least, it meant that he wouldn't dismiss him outright; he hoped.

  
These churning thoughts brought Axel to the end of AP Chemistry surprisingly fast and into his third period, gym class. His scowl returned. He'd been dreading gym, knowing that any exercise would only exacerbate his injuries and that today was his day in the weight room. Skipping out was probably his best option, but Axel had to be there at least long enough to be marked present, or he'd hear about it later.

  
There was always the nurse's office, but, given his track record, Axel doubted that they'd believe these injuries weren't actually his fault this time. He'd rather keep the whole incident as quiet as possible, especially since the worst of the bruises were easily covered by clothes; even the cut on his forehead was hidden by his hair. He was still a bit stiff, and limping too, but his usual sauntering walk was slow and managed to disguise the fact. So he'd lay low until after roll call and then disappear. That's what he was thinking as he changed, anyway.

  
The Hollow Bastion High gym uniform was fairly simple: green sweats and a white t-shirt with the school logo, a greenish blue diamond. Axel didn't know what that signified, exactly, but at least it was better than some. Their rival school had some girly star-shaped fruit for a logo, he'd heard.

  
Once dressed, Axel slammed his locker door, clipped the lock back into place, and left the room without so much as a glance at anyone else. His expression must have been stormy; people got out of his way when they saw him coming.

  
Still, he'd been one of the first out, moving into the main section of the gym - which held the basketball court - and through to the second door; the weight room. He was already eyeing the bench and barbells with distaste, tying his hair back into a rather spikey ponytail. This was going to be even worse than history class, so he'd like to get it over with as quickly as possible. Of course, the gym teachers would probably start their rounds out on the track, leaving the weight room for last; just his luck.

  
Sprawling out on top of the bench, Axel wondered how long he could just lay there. If he held onto the bar and kept an eye on the door, he could probably pretend to be taking a breather if the teacher walked in unexpectedly. That way, he wouldn't risk reopening the cut in his side. Tempting...

  
There was really no contest; the temptation to be lazy and spare himself unnecessary pain won pretty easily.

  
As he lay there, unmoving, Axel's thoughts once again turned to Roxas. Maybe he was becoming obsessed, he mused. He could always just wander the neighborhood until he caught sight of Roxas again, then strike up a conversation. Though, the problem with that plan is that it might take a few days. Or weeks. He could go back to the house, provided he could find it, and ask if he'd left something there, that night... but when nothing turned up, he might look stupid. Axel was a little surprised to discover that he was worried about looking stupid in front of Roxas.

  
Just as he was contemplating the implications of that little fact, an upside-down shock of blond hair and blue eyes invaded his field of vision, along with an impish smirk. The breath left Axel in an astonished _woosh_ as his eyes widened. _Roxas_.

  
"I don't think you should be lifting weights until the cut in your side heals," the blond remarked casually, almost offhandedly, "You might open it up again, otherwise. That would suck, after all the trouble I went through to patch you up the other night."

  
"Roxas!" Axel couldn't hide the surprise in his tone as he shifted quickly, moving to sit upright on the bench and bring his view of the blond into the right perspective, pausing to take in the sight of him, "You're a student here?" And in his gym class, no less. "Since when?" Axel demanded, crossing his arms over his chest to try and hide his delight. He was then forced to suppress a wince at the twinge of pain the motion caused.

  
Roxas also straightened slightly, though his hands remained crossed and resting on the weight bar to hold him upright. "Last semester," he answered easily, the smirk becoming a more genuine smile, "You really didn't recognize me, Friday night?"

  
No, he hadn't. Axel felt like an ass all of a sudden. Roxas had been here the whole time? And he hadn't noticed him? The redhead inwardly cursed his all-but-nonexistent observational skills, even as his expression went sheepish.

  
Roxas was apparently unconcerned at being previously unnoticed by his classmate. In fact, after a slight pause, he added with a shrug, "I've always sort of faded into the background."

  
The redhead felt another twinge of pain, then, though he hadn't moved. The pain hadn't come from his injuries; it was as if his heart actually felt hurt over the injustice of what he'd inferred from that one simple statement. The blond hadn't come right out and said it - and maybe Axel really was projecting, this time - but it almost sounded as though... he didn't have any friends. Which was crazy talk. Roxas was bad-ass, cute, obviously compassionate, and interesting. Who wouldn't want to be friends with him?

  
Axel did.

  
"I dunno, Roxie," Axel tried to smirk again, teasing in hopes that Roxas wouldn't notice his lack of initial response, "You're the most interesting person I've met in a long time. I just wish it hadn't taken half a dozen near life-threatening injuries to make me look up and take notice of who's around me, for once." It probably didn't help that at least half of Axel's jokes were self-depreciating humor. Or that it was so close to the truth.

  
The blond snorted lightly, raising an eyebrow at Axel's words. "I hope that you don't get into fights with overwhelming, insurmountable odds too often," He countered, "Not that I mind coming to the rescue..." Reaching out, Roxas very lightly poked Axel in the arm just under the place where he knew the bandages were, making the redhead jump, "But it'd be nice if you stayed in one piece. You're too skinny to be losing that much blood on a regular basis."

  
Axel couldn't help but think that it might be worth it to get beat up again, if he could stay conscious enough to enjoy being nursed by the blond, but he kept his mouth shut on that subject.

  
"Studying to be a doctor, Roxie?" He asked instead, intrigued, "That explains the aftermath, but not the rescue." Axel leaned in, lowering his voice so that his words wouldn't be overheard, "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

  
Maybe it was Axel's imagination, but Roxas actually looked a little uncomfortable at the question. At any rate, he glanced away before answering, "My brother started taking defense classes, so I did too. I enjoyed it, so I kept going after he quit." Looking back at Axel, Roxas seemed eager to shift the focus off himself, though he spoke with a renewed smile, "What about you? I saw you take that one out, even after you'd been all messed up."

  
"I, uh, ran with a tough crowd, before," Axel evaded, looking down at his shoes. It took a moment or two before he was ready to meet Roxas' eyes again. He wanted to be friends - actual, real friends - so it was probably best to get it all out in the open from the start, rather than having Roxas find out later. Besides, it wasn't exactly a secret; just something that Axel didn't like to advertise. "I should probably tell you," he began, a little hesitantly, "I was - well, I actually still am, technically... a member of Organization Thirteen."

  
While the Heartless were the most active and easily the most destructive, there were actually two other gangs in the Hollow Bastion area; Organization Thirteen and The Guardians of Heart - _pretentious bastards_. Each of the latter had come into being as a response to the Heartless, each one fighting them off in their own territory. Still, a gang was a gang, so far as popular opinion went, and so the Organization and the Guardians both were seen as another source of the problem, rather than an answer to it. Axel had gotten used to it, for the most part.

  
Either way, the Organization had splintered in the past few years. Demyx and Zexion were members too, but they, along with Axel and two other teenage members, were considered auxiliary numbers rather than the main fighting force. That might change once they came of age, but it suited Axel just fine. The higher ups in the Organization were legally adults and they marched under their leader, Xemnas. Lately their actions had become a little more aggressive, but Axel hadn't actually been a part of things. Not that it usually mattered; to the uninformed, a gang member was a gang member, no matter how small. Axel just hoped that Roxas would understand.

  
Today was apparently a day for all of Axel's wishes to be granted.

  
"I know," Roxas said simply, tilting his head slightly to one side, "You have your number on your back; the Roman numeral for eight." Then, he grinned, "Flurry of Dancing Flames, it says, just beneath it." At Axel's stunned expression, the blond added, "I saw it while I was wrapping your chest in bandages."

  
Oh. Of course he had. Still, Axel cheered immensely at his words. Roxas already knew, and he was still talking to him! Had made the effort to talk to him _first_ , even! That was… so, so much easier than Axel thought it would be. Amazingly so, actually. Almost like magic. _While you’re listening_ , Axel thought, aiming his thoughts at whatever had granted his first two wishes, _I'd also like a car_.

  
Grinning, the redhead turned his attention to his new friend. "Well," he ventured, "Since you know all about my deep dark secret and you're still talking to me, would you wanna hang out today? I usually meet up with two other Organization miscreants after gym." Axel almost suggested ditching gym now, but he hadn't seen the teacher come in to check on student attendance yet. He almost didn't care.

  
"Sure," Roxas agreed easily, making Axel's hopes rise ever further, "But I have a class fourth period. You'd have to wait for me to get out, if you're still interested." The blond rose from his position, where he'd been leaning on the dumbbells, as if he was ready to actually start working out.

  
_Huh_ , Axel thought, _no skipping out_ , _so Roxas was a model student... who would have thought_? And what did he mean, "if he was still interested"...? Of course he was.

  
"I'll wait," the redhead pledged easily, though he made no move to rise, "What class do you have after this?" Then, as an afterthought, "Wait, what class do you have first period?" Axel had a hunch, but he wanted to know if he was right.

  
"First period?" Roxas asked, as if for confirmation, his voice a little surprised, "English Lit, on the other side of the school." Aha! That explained why Axel had seen him this morning. And it explained why he hadn't found him in the hallway once he'd left the history classroom; Roxas must have been headed back to class from the bathroom, or something, and moved just a little faster than the startled redhead had.

  
"And what about after this?" Axel asked again, now that his curiosity was sated.

  
Roxas laughed, and Axel's heart skipped a beat. What was up with _that?_ The blond smirked, unaware of his new friend's reaction, and answered, "Another gym period."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole one-chapter-a-day thing is probably going to go to shit on Tuesday, but I'm gonna ride the wave while I can.
> 
> Dedicated to Roxanne, who is an amazing sounding board and gives awesome critique.

Chapter 4

  
"Look, I need you guys to play it cool, okay?" Axel told his "Organization miscreant" friends - who were, of course, Demyx and Zexion - while they lingered near the back field, waiting for fourth period to end. "I really like Roxas and I don't need you freaking him out with your excessive cheeriness, Demyx," and, after a pause, "or your sass, _Zexion_." He leveled a mock-glare at the miscreant in question.

  
Zexion snorted, "Perish the thought."

  
Demyx, who was bouncing once again, nudged his boyfriend with one shoulder. "We'll be good, Ax," He promised, grinning from ear to ear, "Hey! Did you guys notice that Roxas doesn't break the X-in-the-name rule? We're all gonna be _besties_!"

  
Axel laughed at the memories that brought up. About a year ago, Demyx had discovered that all of their names - all of the Organization members' names, in fact - had the letter 'X' in them. Ever since then, it had been his theory that anyone with an X in their name was destined to be his friend. So far, he hadn't been wrong, exactly... even if Axel was a little sketchy about some members of the Organization, like Larxene or Vexen, being their friends. And even if Demyx did have a few other friends who didn't have an X in their name.

  
Finally, the dismissal bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. "Any minute now," Axel remarked, a little unnecessarily. Gym students typically got to stop exercising and get changed, or shower, if they chose, ten minutes before the end of class; so Roxas should be joining them shortly.

  
Which made it all the more strange when, five minutes later, no Roxas had appeared. "Are we in the right spot?" Demyx asked, looking around at the crowd walking past them and toward the student parking lot, "Did you tell him we'd be here, Ax?"

  
"I did," Axel confirmed, feeling a little anxious, "I'll go check the locker room. Maybe he got held up, or something." Running a hand through his hair, the redhead headed for the main gym building, hoping that everything really was alright. Roxas didn't seem like the type to bail... so maybe something had gone wrong? Then again, the blond was small, but he kicked some serious ass. No locker room bully was going to get the best of him.

  
Pushing one of the large double doors open, Axel slipped inside... and stopped dead. Roxas was there, which put the redhead's anxiety to rest, but he was also shirtless and beating on a punching bag, which made Axel's heart start pounding madly in his chest.

  
The little blond was a fury of kicks and sharp jabs, making the sand-filled punching bag fall back repeatedly. He was sweating a little, Axel noticed, and... fuck, he had a _really_ nice set of muscular abs. Those hadn't been so obvious when Roxas had worn a t-shirt, but damn, they were front and center now. The redhead swallowed hard, trying to breathe.

  
Shit. Axel had fallen. Hard.

  
Roxas eventually caught sight of Axel, just after twisting to slam his elbow into the punching bag. He stopped, catching the poor, beaten bag with both hands to keep it from slamming into him, and waved at Axel before glancing at the clock on the wall. "Shit," He remarked before calling out, "Sorry, I didn't notice the bell ring. Give me five minutes? I'm gonna grab a quick shower and change."

  
"Y - yeah," Axel nodded, waving vaguely back at his new friend, "We'll wait, no sweat. Err, no problem, I mean." He wanted to kick himself over that stupid, unintentional pun. The blond just laughed it off though, scooping up his gym shirt and heading for the locker rooms.

  
For another moment or two, Axel stood, rooted to the spot, staring after him. _Hot damn_... Roxie had gone from cute to smoking hot.

  
"I'm surprised you didn't offer to help him wash up," Zexion remarked. Axel jumped about a foot in the air before whirling around to face his friend. Or, friends, rather. Zexion and Demyx had apparently come to see what the source of the delay was. They'd heard the last of it, judging by his comment.

  
" _Zeeeeex_!" Demyx squealed, shaking his boyfriend by the shoulders from behind, "Don't you see? Axel really likes this one! Look at him blush!" The redhead was mortified; his face really had been heating up... and the hyperactive loudmouth had noticed.

  
Zexion tilted his head to one side, staring up at Axel; which was actually hilarious because his hair fell to one side, exposing his left eye, for once. "...Oh my. I think you're right, Dem," He smirked, thoroughly enjoying Axel's pain, "He does like him. I can see the drool from here."

  
"Shut your face," Axel muttered crossly, averting his gaze from the drama-whores he called friends, willing his blush to fade before Roxas got back. It wasn't _his_ fault that Roxas was amazing! Besides that, he didn't even know if Roxas swung that way, yet. Though... it was high on his list of things to find out, as subtly as possible. Not that he'd tell Demyx or Zexion that. Ever.

  
"It's _soooo_ cute!" Demyx continued to squeal, bouncing up and down yet again. He looked as though he was going to start clapping his hands next.

  
"Seriously, Dem, shut up," Axel told him again, frowning, "I don't know if Roxas is into guys, okay? I just want to get to know him." He pointed at Zexion, " _You_. Don't say a damn word. I mean it, alright? I want Roxas as a friend; anything beyond that is up in the air, crush or not." Dammit, he _was_ crushing; that was the problem. Taking a deep breath, Axel relaxed his shoulders and continued, no longer frowning, "Besides, I owe him at least one burger for saving my ass, and I'd like him to meet you guys when you aren't being a pair of lunatics."

  
Though he pouted, Demyx settled down, no longer bouncing. "Fine..." He agreed, sounding for the world like a child whose sweets had been delayed until after dinner. He glanced at his boyfriend, who nodded in agreement, then looked back to Axel with a bright grin, "We'll be your wing-men!"

  
"That is exactly what I _don't_ want," Axel deadpanned, though he ruined it by grinning a moment later. "So, you guys are good with Moogle Burger?" He asked, running a hand through his spikey red hair, "Or would Cid's be better?"

  
It was Roxas who answered from Axel's left, "So long as they don't use real moogle meat, I can handle either." The blond was good at appearing out of nowhere, Axel decided, turning to look at him.

  
"Hey, Roxas," He greeted him with a grin, "These are my friends, Zexion and Dem -- " Before he could even finish his sentence, Demyx had launched himself at Roxas, cheerfully shouting the small blond's name at the top of his lungs. For his part, Roxas took it well, stumbling only half a step back before rolling his eyes.

  
"Dem, your lanky ass is crushing me," He announced, though he made no move to shove the taller boy off. Axel was... _extremely_ confused. It must have shown in his face, because Roxas looked at the redhead and explained, "Demyx is my cousin."

  
"Cousins?!" Axel asked, feeling both shocked and betrayed, "Dem! Why didn't you tell me that this morning?!" He rounded on his friend, expression comical and practically screaming: _what gives, man?!_

  
Demyx laughed, finally detaching himself from Roxas. "It was so much more fun to watch you struggle!" He announced cheerfully, grinning fit to burst. Oh, that cinched it, Axel decided, Demyx was getting a locker full of creepy crawlies, even if he had to use the last of his cash buying all the tarantulas from the pet store to make it happen.

  
"Why... haven't I met you before, then?" Axel asked slowly, turning and directing the question at Roxas. He'd never seen him and Demyx hanging out, but there was obviously no bad blood there. Maybe he didn't like Zexion...? Or were their families estranged? The redhead was so confused.

  
Roxas shrugged, looking a little self-conscious, "I like doing my own thing." It seemed like another evasion, but... well, he didn't owe Axel an answer. So long as they could still hang out, he supposed that it wasn't overly important.

  
"Well, I guess introductions are unnecessary," Axel began again, throwing an arm over Roxas' shoulders, "Shall we get going? Moogle Burger awaits, and I'm buyin' for Roxie." He shot a look at the traitors, "You two are on your own. I don't reward betrayal."

  
"Laaaame," Demyx complained, though he was smirking at the same time. Zexion seemed to share the sentiment, because he mirrored the smirk on his boyfriend's face.

  
It wasn't until they were walking - Axel and Roxas having gotten several feet ahead of Demyx and Zexion, who were holding hands once again - that Roxas looked up and Axel. "You don't have to pay for me," He mentioned, "I can afford it."

  
Axel was a little surprised that the blond had waited this long, but he'd thankfully already decided what to say, in case something like that had come up. "I know I don't have to," He said softly, so that his voice wouldn't carry to the other two, "But I want to. You really did save me. That means a lot."

  
"That's what friends are for... right?" Roxas asked, and... his voice sounded both hesitant and hopeful at the same time. Still, Axel didn't think he was asking for confirmation on the phrase; it seemed more like Roxas was asking to make sure that they were friends.

  
"Friends also treat friends to burgers, on occasion," Axel assured him with a grin, "Especially when one friend saves the other from getting his ass kicked more than necessary. I got this, Roxie; no worries." He had also noticed that Roxas hadn't objected to the nickname yet. Axel hoped that he wouldn't in the future either, once he felt more comfortable objecting to the redhead's whims.

  
The blond seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Alright," He accepted, "Thanks, Axel."

  
~*~*~*~*~*~

  
Moogle Burger was, as the name suggested, a burger joint. They served fries, onion rings and sodas, as well, but their selling point was putting just about anything you could think of on a burger; they even had one, the Sixer, with literally six inches of condiments and other additives. The fast food restaurant was popular among the teenagers and eccentrics, which was fortunate because the older residents of Hollow Bastion found it patently ridiculous. Axel made a point of eating there at least twice a month.

  
"One Pig on a Raft, with ketchup," the redhead began, not bothering to scan the menu, "Plus a side of rings and a coke. And..." He trailed off, glancing at Roxas and waiting for the blond to order. Axel had assumed that, judging by the “real moogle meat” comment, Roxas had never eaten here before, so he tried to give him plenty of time to decide.

  
"An... orange blanket with black polka dots?" Roxas began, uncertain of the terminology, before adding, at normal speed, "With fries and a coke, please." He hadn't balked, at least, which was good.

  
Demyx snorted, "Olives? On a burger? Rox, what's wrong with you?"

  
"You're one to talk," Axel pointed out, grabbing his drink once it was set on the counter and taking a sip, "You're maybe a quarter-inch away from a Sixer, Dem. That's way too much on one bun." Demyx liked just about everything and wasn't shy about making a mess, much to Zexion's embarrassment. Innuendo: one-hundred percent intentional.

  
"It is a bit much sometimes, Demyx," Zexion agreed. He got his burger with mushrooms and onions, which... well, Axel didn't approve, personally, but it was better than a Sixer.

  
"What's a Pig on a raft?" Roxas asked, curious. Even though he'd been given a minute to look it over, there hadn't been enough time to read the entire menu; the blond had no idea what Axel had chosen.

  
The redhead hummed in approval of his meal to come. "Bacon and fries," He answered smoothly, "I used to get it with cheese, but I like the bacon to be front and center, y'know?" Axel grabbed their tray as soon as it hit the counter and began walking toward the table he usually picked. "You got black olives and cheese, right?"

  
Roxas nodded, "I like olives on my pizza, too." Axel found that surprisingly cute. Since when were food choices cute? Since he had a crush on the guy ordering, apparently.

  
"Weird," Demyx asserted, once he and Zexion joined them at the table by the front window. His burger was, indeed, nearly six inches tall. He'd have to unhinge his jaw, or squash the burger flat, to get it in his mouth. "So, Roxas," He began, starting to get a hold on the massive burger, "How's Sora doing?"

  
Sora? Axel glanced over at the blond beside him, taking a bite of his own burger. The brother, maybe? Hopefully not a boyfriend. He'd _kill_ Demyx if he'd known Roxas had a boyfriend and he hadn't told him.

  
Roxas had bitten into his own burger - which he seemed to approve of - so it took him a moment before he could answer. "He's fine," He told Demyx in that offhanded tone of his, "He's been out with his boyfriend and their other friends every night lately, so I haven't seen him as much."

  
Brother, indeed. Axel relaxed. A gay brother, at that! Or bisexual, maybe. Still, that meant that Roxas wasn't completely turned off at the idea, at least. The redhead shot Demyx an approving look; that was good to know. Demyx gave a subtle salute in return.

  
"You don't live with your parents?" Zexion asked, and Axel once again focused on the blond, curious about that as well. He hadn't seen any parents that night when Roxas had made him dinner, either.

  
"Nope," the blond answered, picking at his fries now, "They're working overseas. Sora and I stayed behind so that we could go to school." He smiled and looked sideways at Axel, "That makes it a bit easier when I bring half-dead classmates home late at night to bandage them up."

  
Axel grinned, "My hero." He meant it, too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I post chapter 5, I'm writing Chapter 9, so it looks like Tuesday won't be the death of my one-chapter-a-day posting after all.
> 
> Dedicated to my high school English teacher. I wish that all teachers were as dedicated to their students as he is, not to mention as encouraging.

Chapter 5

  
Over the next few weeks, after their first trip to Moogle Burger, Axel happily fell into a routine of sorts. He met up with Roxas before first period and then, again, for lunch. After third period, he would either loiter around the back field and wait for the blond to finish his second block of gym or, as soon as the cut in his side had mended up, even join him for it. Once school was officially over, before anything else, Roxas would then _insist_ on doing his homework.

  
"You're such a good student, Roxie," Axel teased, watching the blond make some kind of complicated chart on his biology worksheet. It was a bit beyond him, really. Roxas was some kind of honor student, and Axel only really excelled in applied Chemistry; for some reason, that just clicked.

  
Roxas had snorted at the comment, continuing on without pause. "Just because you aren't interested in school doesn't mean that I'm willing to lower my grade," He asserted, "Once I'm done with this, we can goof off all you want." Axel would hold him to that, of course, but Roxas never seemed to care when he did. 

  
At first, Axel just sat with him at the deserted picnic benches behind the cafeteria, keeping Roxas company as he scribbled out essays for his English class or completed page after page of notes for biology. The redhead had never been one to worry about busywork, himself, and that had lowered his final grade on more than a few occasions. It just wasn't a priority for Axel, even if doing his homework would have brought his barely-passing grades up a notch or two.

  
On the Friday of the second week, however, as he sat down beside Roxas and the massive pile of books in front of him, the redhead figured... Well, he might as well do his own homework, since nothing would move the blond from his spot before he'd completed all of his assignments anyway. Reaching into his bag, Axel tossed his graffiti-covered chemistry book and an unused notebook onto the table. He'd start with the easiest homework from his favorite class, he decided; baby steps.

  
Once again, that companionable silence fell between them as they each worked on separate subjects. Axel found himself actually enjoying the ambiance, even if the task felt like a waste of time. It was really nice; sitting there by Roxas, outdoors, the quiet scratch of pencils on paper and the rustling wind through the leaves of a nearby tree for background noise... He could see himself doing homework more often, if it was always like this.

 

For quite some time, Axel worked his way through chemical formulas, scribbling out notations and compound equations. The farther along he got, the more surprised he was to discover that he was, in a way, actually enjoying the work too. Sure, it was still busywork and he already knew all the answers to the questions, so he wasn't learning anything new at the moment, but... Axel was accomplishing something. So he finished one assignment, and then just kept on going.

 

The quiet was finally broken when Roxas shut the cover on his over-sized English Lit textbook, apparently finished with his third sheet of notes. He sighed, then, reaching his arms far up over his head and holding them there in a languid stretch. "I'm gonna go buy a soda," the blond announced, swinging his legs out from underneath the table to stand, "Want one?"

  
"Sure," Axel agreed, already preparing to stand and follow him to the vending machines.

  
"I'll get it," he assured the redhead, "You bought the drinks yesterday. Just watch my stuff, okay?" Roxas gestured to his book bag and supplies on the table, already taking a step in the direction of the cafeteria, "Be right back."

  
"Alright, Roxie," Axel agreed easily, settling back in to wait. Glancing down at the spiral-bound notebook beneath his pencil, the redhead allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Yeah... maybe he would do his homework more often, with Roxas. With that, Axel began to write once again, hoping to get done with the rest of the page before Roxas returned with the sodas.

 

However, it was not to be. Only a moment later, the redhead was distracted by the sound of someone shouting his name. Averting his gaze from the paper, Axel looked up and spotted two familiar figures headed his way. Demyx and Zexion? He thought they'd gone home ages ago.

 

"What're you two still doing here?" Axel asked, as soon as they were close enough to hear him without shouting, "I would think you had better things to do than hang around school after hours." 

  
"I could say the same to you," Demyx pointed out, leaning against the table once they reached it, "What'cha up to? .... _Homework?_ " The last word was said in a tone so incredulous that Axel almost took offense.

  
"Yes, Dem," He answered instead, a little crossly, flipping the notebook shut and shoving it back into his bag before the lanky blond could inspect it too closely, "Homework. _Chemistry_ homework. No big deal." Of course it wouldn't pass without notice... Just his luck, having them show up the first time he bothered.

  
Zexion hummed, brushing a hand through the bangs that obscured his face. "You don't usually go to that much effort for school," he pointed out, "Even for chemistry." That earned him a scowl from the redhead.

  
"It's no big deal," Axel tried to insist, but Demyx cut him off with a delighted gasp.

  
"It's _Roxas_!" He nearly squealed, a bright smile crossing his face as he spoke, "Roxas is being a good influence on you!" That made Axel blush, but... well, he couldn't really argue. Roxas _was_ a good influence. Demyx had hit the nail on the head, however little the redhead wanted to admit it. The funny thing was; Roxas had never even _tried_ to convince Axel to do his homework. It was something that he'd just decided to do on his own, which almost made it more embarrassing to admit.

  
"It's just homework," Axel groused, crossing his arms over his chest. Only Demyx could get Axel so dangerously close to pouting; though, Roxas could probably manage it too, if he had half a mind to try.

  
" _Suuuure_ ," Demyx agreed with an air of cheerful disbelief, winking at his boyfriend a second later, "Well, we should leave you to it. Zex and I are on our way to pick up some new guitar strings; I'm writing another song!"

  
"You're always writing new songs, Dem."

  
"That's because I'm _great_ at it," Demyx retorted without malice, reaching to take Zexion's hand in his own before addressing Axel once again, "See ya later, Ax. Behave, and tell Roxas we said hi!" 

  
Thus, Roxas found Axel with a frown on his face when he returned, sodas in hand, just in time to see Demyx and Zexion leave. "They cleared out fast," the blond remarked, setting the slightly chilled can of coke on the table in front of Axel, "I wasn't even gone a whole five minutes." It was then that he apparently noticed Axel's stuff packed away, because he soon asked, "Did you finish already?" 

  
The question was so innocently meant that Axel had to take a moment to compose himself and put a more pleasant expression on his face; he would have snapped at almost anyone else, just then, simply out of temper. "Not yet," He admitted instead, dragging a hand through his hair, "Just taking a break." He smirked at Roxas, "It was too hard to concentrate with those two lovebirds hanging around, y'know?"

  
Roxas nodded, then hummed thoughtfully, looking at the notebook he'd left open on the table. "Let's pack up for today," He suggested, startling Axel out of his lingering irritation, "I'm hungry, and I can always finish later tonight." With a smile, Roxas turned to face Axel and asked, "Shall we head to Moogle Burger? Or is it a Cid's kind of day?"

  
That was also part of their normal routine: once all of Roxas' homework was finished for the day, they would go grab something to eat - usually at Moogle Burger or Cid's Grill - before heading back to their respective homes. Then, Axel would text Roxas about anything and everything that popped into his head for the rest of the night. To his credit, Roxas accepted it all with good grace, texting back most of the time.

  
Though, that just made Axel fall even harder for him, homework or not.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  
It was about three weeks after they'd first met that Axel decided to try dragging Roxas out of his house on the weekend to hang out. Admittedly, it wasn't that hard; it took a total of three text messages, one of which was only a wicked-looking smiley face, and a surprise knock on the blond's front door. Roxas was amazingly patient considering that he opened the door at eight o'clock in the morning, wearing pajama bottoms and a t-shirt.

 

After he stared at the manically grinning redhead for a moment, Roxas proceeded to shut the door in Axel's face. That reaction was a bit disheartening, Axel wouldn't lie - but, a moment later, he could hear the faint sound of muffled laughter coming from beyond the door, just inside Roxas' house. He got a text from the blond a few seconds later that read: _Give me five minutes_.

 

His spirits rose exponentially.

  
That was another thing that the redhead really liked about Roxas; he was willing to go along with whatever craziness Axel suggested, for the most part, but he wasn't about to let anyone - least of all Axel himself - walk all over him. If the blond hadn't wanted to leave the house that Saturday morning, there wasn't anything that Axel could have said or done that would have persuaded him.  

 

Thankfully, Roxas had been amenable to the jaunt, so Axel was able to drag him all the way across town to a small, out of the way ice cream parlor. By the time they got there, ambling along and allowing themselves to be distracted by whatever caught their eye, the place had actually just opened for business a few minutes earlier. 

 

"So," Roxas began, gazing up at the sign over the door, declaring that this was Scrooge McDuck's Ice Cream Parlor, "This is the best ice cream ever, huh?" He sounded a little doubtful, but mostly curious. Glancing at Axel, he added, "Who's Scrooge?"

  
The redhead shrugged, his tone betraying indifference, "Some rich old guy who bought the ice cream factory that made his favorite flavor before it went out of business forever." He grinned, though, and added, "I would've done it too, if I had the money. C'mon." Gesturing for Roxas to follow, Axel pushed the door open and strode inside; the little golden bell above the door chimed merrily, announcing their entrance.

  
"What flavor was it?" Roxas asked, apparently not finished with his curiosity, "It must be pretty unique, for him to go to all that trouble." His voice was almost inaudible, however, over the sudden explosion of chatter that they encountered inside: the ice cream parlor was already _packed_ with people of all ages. Stopping in his tracks, Roxas blinked, startled, and asked in a louder voice, "It's... this popular? Why was it going out of business in the first place, then?"

 

"Dunno," Axel answered, raising his voice as well so that he could be heard, "But maybe the weekend wasn't the best time to come. It's usually quieter during school hours." He should know, after skipping class so many times. "You wanna come back another day, Roxie?" Axel turned to glance at his friend, gesturing at the crowd, "This might take a while."

 

The blond shook his head, "No, I'm curious now. I gotta know what flavor was worth the trouble of buying out an entire company _and_ waiting in lines like this on the weekend."

 

So, they waited. It really wasn't so bad, since they had one another for company, but it took quite a while; far longer than Roxas had believed possible, just for ice cream. Of course, the line was also growing behind them the whole time, proving just how popular the place was. By the time they'd been in line for about twenty minutes, Axel had realized that Roxas was actually incredibly stubborn... and he also had time to be exasperated with himself for finding it attractive.

 

_The age-old cliche_ , he thought to himself, _gay guy crushing on his best friend without knowing if he'd even be interested. Fuck my life._

 

Finally, before Axel could mentally berate himself _too_ badly, they made it to the counter. "Two, please," the redhead ordered for them both, holding up the same number of fingers just in case he couldn't be heard over the racket. "To go," he added, looking at Roxas, "It's way too loud to enjoy it, in here."

 

"Agreed," the blond nodded before adding, "I know a good place."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

And wasn't that an adventure, getting to the _place_. It turned out to be an old clock tower a few blocks away from the ice cream parlor. Axel had thought Roxas was a rule-abiding, straight arrow kind of guy; he was proven wrong when his friend not only strode past a "Do Not Enter" sign, but then proceeded to climb the stairs up the huge clock tower with practiced nonchalance. He lead Axel to a small door that went _outside_ and onto a _ledge_ just wide enough to sit on. Or just narrow enough to fall off of, if you were pessimistic.

 

"Here I thought you were a good little boy," the redhead muttered, half to himself, "But you're a full-on daredevil, Roxie..." They were very high up, just then.

 

"Quit your bellyaching and enjoy the view," Roxas chided with a grin, moving to take a seat on the ledge as if it were nothing. He then added, "And pass me my ice cream; I'm dying of curiosity and I want it _now_."

 

Axel slowly joined his friend on the edge of the clock tower, telling himself not to look down, before handing over a cellophane-wrapped ice cream bar. It was blue - a soft, ocean blue - and had started to go just a little bit soft during their walk. "There ya go," he announced with a flourish, "One sea salt ice cream."

 

"Sea salt?" Roxas took the ice cream almost gingerly, taking a moment to inspect it, "This is what all the fuss is about?" He tore open the thin wrapper, revealing the salty sweet confection. Axel watched, grinning slightly to himself, as Roxas took the first bite. "It's salty... but sweet," the blond spoke after savoring the taste.

 

"That's the point," Axel told him, holding back a chuckle. He gestured with one hand, "Sea salt," then he gestured with the other, "Ice Cream. Salty and sweet, together." With that, he tore the wrapper off his own bar, regarding the view thoughtfully. "So what's the story with this place?" Axel asked, just before taking the first bite, "You come up here often, or...?"

 

Humming, Roxas turned his head to look out at the city below them. After a moment, he answered slowly, "Sometimes, yeah. It's been a while, though. I think the last time I was up here was just a few days before we met, that night." He took another bite of his sea salt ice cream, enjoying the duality of its flavor, "I think... this might be the best ice cream I've ever had."

 

Axel nearly made some smart-ass comment about how he'd totally told Roxas so... but he turned to look at the blond just before the words left his lips. He stopped, then, struck to silence as the grin faded from his face. Roxas' hair was lit up by the afternoon sun, making it appear absolutely golden, and his expression was soft as he gazed into the distance. He looked so peaceful; like he'd been waiting a long time for such a quiet moment. The sight of it made the redhead's heart ache again.

 

"Yeah," Axel found himself agreeing softly, instead, without taking his eyes off of Roxas' face, "Me too."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that it's kinda bad etiquette to mention, but every time I see that someone has left kudos or a new comment, my smile lights up like the sun. Thank you guys so much for going out of your way and taking the time to let me know that you're enjoying my writing ~ <3
> 
> Dedicated, once again, to Roxanne. I sent her four chapters at once, yesterday, and she didn't even grumble.

Chapter 6

 

A few days after their Saturday morning ice cream adventure and subsequent clock tower ascent, it was Roxas' turn to surprise Axel with an invitation. They'd been in their shared gym period, jogging around the track, when he turned to the redhead suddenly and asked, his voice totally casual, "Wanna come hang out at my place, tonight?"

 

It was so out of the blue that Axel actually stumbled a few steps before he managed to regain his footing. "Your place?" He asked, tone conveying his surprise before he could stop it. In a desperate attempt to recover, the redhead added, trying to joke, "But I'm not mortally wounded this time, Roxie."

 

"I thought we were good enough friends that you didn't have to be half-dead for us to hang out, anymore," Roxas retorted, after giving Axel's joke a short laugh. Silence fell between them for a moment, a tad awkwardly this time, before the blond finally broke it; "If you're busy, it's cool. I just thought it'd be nice to have some company, since Sora's almost never home anymore. Eating by myself every night gets old pretty fast." If he hadn't known Roxas as well as he did, even after only a few short weeks, Axel would have missed the fact that his friend looked a little nervous. There was something about the set of his chin and the careful way that his gaze remained fixed on the distance.

 

Was he worried that Axel would refuse?

 

"I'd love to come, if you'll have me. Besides, if you're gonna cook again, there's no way I'm gonna say no," Axel assured him with a smile, running a hand through his hair, "Do, uh, do you want me to bring anything? Or am I gonna be relegated to peeling potatoes again?" He grinned at that last part, though he really wouldn't mind if that did become his job.

 

Roxas snorted at that, altering his course slightly as they reached the curve in the track. Still, Axel also noticed that he'd relaxed, too. "I was going to make stir-fry," Roxas admitted, though there was a wicked glint in those blue eyes of his, "But I'm sure I could find a few dozen potatoes for you to peel, if you need something to do. I'll use them eventually, and it would keep you out of trouble, at least."

 

Placing a hand over his heart, Axel scoffed and then spluttered in a most dramatic, put upon fashion. "I am _wounded_!" He cried out, drawing upon his inner drama queen, "You, Roxie, are totally taking advantage of my phenomenal, cosmic, _out of this world potato_ peeling skills!"As their path curved, he drew just a little bit closer to the blond, bumping him lightly with a shoulder.

 

"You cut some of those potatoes to within an inch of their life," Roxas pointed out, the small curve at the corner of his lips betraying his amusement, despite the exasperated expression he adopted, "In fact, I think some of those "peels" were more potato than skin, Axel."

 

" _Out of this world_ potato peeling skills!" Axel repeated loudly, and then neither of them could hold their laughter back any longer.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Thus, Axel once more found himself in Roxas' house, seated at the same table in the extremely clean, orderly kitchen. He wasn't actually given any potatoes to peel, though he'd been unsure, earlier, if Roxas would carry out his threat. No, this time his job was to chop up the vegetables while the blond washed the rice.

 

"So tell me," He began curiously, keeping his eyes on the knife - to make sure that he wouldn't need further bandaging - even as he addressed Roxas, "Why does one need to wash rice before they cook it? I never have. Not that I cook a lot, but still; why?" Besides, it didn't seem like a simple was. Roxas had rinsed and repeated at least three or four times now, without any sign of stopping.

 

"It depends on the rice," the blond informed him, still rubbing a handful of grains carefully between his hands, as if polishing them, "Short grain rice has to be washed so that it cooks properly, but long grain rice doesn't need it." To further clarify, Roxas then explained that short grain rice was the same rice that Axel would have called "sticky rice", as opposed to something like jasmine rice. It seemed overly complicated, to the redhead, but he had far more faith in Roxas' cooking skills than his own.

 

"Whatever you say, Roxie," he agreed, struggling with a particularly large crown of broccoli that insisted on rolling away from the knife's edge, "Whatever kind of rice it is, I'm sure it'll be good."

 

Roxas snorted and probably would have said something in that neutral, slightly-scathing way he had of joking... except that, before he could, there came the distinct sound of a door unlocking, opening, and then slamming shut. Both Roxas and Axel stilled. "...Seriously?" the blond frowned, looking completely exasperated.

 

"What - ?" Axel began, but was cut off by another voice.

 

"Roxas?" came the shout from somewhere near the front of the house, sounding both confused and slightly concerned, "Whose sweater is this?" Then, a failed clone rounded the corner and entered the kitchen.

 

At least, that's what it looked like, to Axel. The young man was clearly related to Roxas; they had almost the exact same facial features, were the exact same height, and had very similar builds. However, the failed clone was brunet - that was the most obvious of the differences - and he seemed... simpler? Maybe that wasn't the right term for it, but the way the brunet held himself and the expressions on his face made Axel think that Roxas was the more complex of the two.

 

_This must be Sora_ , Axel found himself thinking, putting two and two together, _He and Roxas could be twins_. Sora - for it was he, indeed - stopped in the kitchen entryway, staring between Axel and his brother, looking shocked. Axel wondered what he was thinking.

 

"Who's that?" Sora blurted, actually pointing at Axel. He didn't sound upset, or anything; just surprised.

 

Roxas, on the other hand, looked apprehensive; the redhead could see the strain in his shoulders and the slightly set look to his jaw. "Sora," the blond began, reaching for a nearby dishtowel to dry his hands with, "This is my friend, Axel." Then, to said friend, "Axel, this is my brother, Sora; older than me by twelve minutes." Twins, indeed.

 

"Nice to meet'cha," Axel greeted the brunet twin, though he didn't bother to rise from the table. Instead, he crossed one long leg over the other at the knee, inspecting all the various differences between Sora and Roxas that were, somehow, extremely obvious to him.

 

"Nice to meet you, too," Sora nodded slowly to Axel, before looking at his brother once again, "You didn't tell me that you invited someone over tonight, Roxas." His tone was slightly accusatory, this time, which made the redhead bristle on his friend's behalf. He wondered if Sora knew how fucking condescending he sounded.

 

"I know," Roxas accepted the criticism, averting his eyes to the tile floor, "I'm sorry, Sora. It was a last-minute kind of thing."

 

Sora apparently wasn't ready to let it go yet, however, because he continued, "You _need_ to find the time to tell me, especially when it's someone I don't know. C'mon, Roxas; this isn't like you at all." Crossing his arms loosely over his chest, the brunet added, "I mean, you could have at least sent me a text."

 

Axel couldn't stop himself from snapping, "What does it matter to _you?_ You're never home anyway. So what if Roxas invited someone over? At least that way he won't be totally fucking alone all fucking night." Maybe that was a bit harsh, but, dammit, Axel meant for it to be.

 

Total silence descended, almost instantly, in the wake of his sudden anger. He shouldn't have verbally attacked Roxas' brother, Axel knew, and he shouldn't have butted in on family matters... but, dammit, seeing Roxas looking so meek and wary was _really_ starting to bother him. What had happened between these two, to make Roxas act like that? The redhead was scowling now, and wishing that he had a better poker face; for Roxas' sake, if nothing else.

 

"Sorry," Axel muttered into the silence, not feeling sorry - or sounding like it - in the least.

 

"Axel," Roxas spoke softly, his tone unreadable, "It's okay."

 

Sora's eyes had widened in surprise at the outburst, however, and his stare affixed itself to the redhead at the kitchen table; he looked a bit shell-shocked, really. Still, there was some kind of thought process going on behind those eyes, Axel could tell, but he wasn't sure if he was about to be shouted at, or if the brunet was going to burst into tears. Axel also wasn't sure which he hoped for more. On the one hand, if Sora shouted at him, he could shout back and get a little more off his chest; though, Roxas might not like that. On the other hand, tears would at least show that Sora felt bad.

 

It took a few more moments before anything happened. Finally, Sora ran a hand through his hair, looking shamefaced. "That's true..." He agreed after a moment or two, glancing at Roxas with a sheepish smile, "I haven't been home much, lately. Sorry, Roxas."

 

"It's okay," Roxas repeated himself, though he shot Axel a small, grateful smile, "It's okay."

 

Axel felt his scowl melt away just as suddenly as it had come. If Roxas was happy with the outcome, then that was good enough for him... but Axel still wasn't sorry for what he'd said.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The night progressed surprisingly well and quite smoothly, after the initial upset. Sora was the kind of person to forgive easily, and didn't seem to mind admitting when he was in the wrong. Axel was not, but... since the brunette was Roxas' twin, he was at least willing to pretend. One more implication to ignore.

 

Dinner was also extremely good. All that rice-washing was totally worth it, too, because it was the first rice Axel had ever eaten that made him want to have more. Before that, rice had just been a filler; something that got flavored by whatever it was served with. This rice... it was better than just good, it was _delicious_.

 

Conversation was a bit lacking for most of the meal, though. Sora was a bit of a chatter box, talking about his school, things his friends had done that day, whatever projects he had coming up... Axel tuned him out a fair bit, and Roxas listened far more than he spoke. Sora was _nice_ , and all, but a bit unaware. It was a really strange change to the dynamic; adding someone like Sora into the mix.

 

Finally, the brunet excused himself to his room, where he intended to write his English essay - Axel knew this, because Sora had announced it loudly before his departure. Weird kid.

 

Still, Axel was thankful that he'd gone, because it meant that he and Roxas were finally able to talk normally. "Is he always like that?" Axel asked almost as soon as he heard the upstairs door shut, figuring that Sora wouldn't be able to hear them now.

 

"Yeah," Roxas answered, picking at a piece of beef on his plate, "Sorry, about him. I didn't think he'd come home so early, or I would have warned you." With a sigh, the blond paused to organize his thoughts. "I think he acts like that because it's just us here," He explained, "The whole... overprotective-thing, that he does. Someone has to be the adult, or whatever."

 

" _You're_ the one who makes dinner and keeps the house so freakishly clean," Axel pointed out, seeing the gaping hole in Roxas' logic, "So, you're the one who acts more like a real adult, however much Sora might talk a big game. Or whatever." He didn't want to push too hard, or be overly blunt, but fucking damn.

 

Roxas let his fork drop to the plate, finished. "Yeah," he agreed, though he sounded doubtful, "I dunno." Then, almost evasively, he asked, "Did... you like Sora?"

 

That was a difficult question to answer; almost akin to the dreaded question about pants and big butts. Axel carefully scraped together the very last of his rice and finished it off, just to delay and give himself time to think. "I didn't _hate_ Sora," He answered, evasively, "But I'm not about to propose, or anything." Then, after glancing up and catching sight of Roxas' face, the redhead elaborated, "He's your brother, Roxie, so I'm willing to play nice - for the most part - but I'm not about to go out of my way to hang out with the guy, either."

 

Roxas was still quiet for a moment longer, but finally seemed to relax. "Okay," he nodded, his smile returning like a star in the darkness.

 

Before Axel could do much more than blink at that brilliantly bright smile, Roxas had grabbed up both plates - his unfinished and Axel's totally clean - to take them to the sink. Axel's eyes followed him. _I just did something right_ , he realized, _but I have absolutely no idea what it was, or how to do it again_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to the good days, like today. Because then? I'm cute as fuck.
> 
> Now for something totally different: Roxas' point of view!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Child Abuse mention.

****Chapter 7

 

Axel didn't text him, that night.

 

They'd said goodbye after dinner, just like normal, and the redhead had strode off with his usual grin. He walked down the darkened street, sticking to the bright circles of lamplight, carrying his jacket rather than wearing it. Some nights, he'd start texting Roxas almost immediately, during his walk, but other times the texts would start to arrive about forty-five minutes later; which must be how long it took for Axel to get home, Roxas theorized. That night, which was exactly a week and two days since Roxas first invited the redhead over for dinner, there had been no texts at all.

 

Roxas hadn't even noticed, let alone started to worry, until he'd glanced up from his book and noticed that it had been almost two hours since Axel had left. Frowning slightly, the blond immediately reached for his own phone, unlocked it, and opened his text message app. Nothing. Confused, he typed out a quick message and sent it to Axel: _Everything okay?_

 

Then, Roxas waited, staring at the small, back-lit screen in his hand. Axel had the same brand of phone, so it told him when the redhead was typing a response - signified by the three dots, _ellipses_ , flashing on the screen. Usually, it was almost immediate; he swore, Axel must take his phone everywhere, even to the bathroom. That night... it took quite a while for the in-progress ellipses to show up.

 

Initially, that made the blond breathe a sigh of relief. Axel was writing a response. It must be Axel, since their phones were password protected; no one else could access it without his consent. Maybe he'd just gotten distracted when he got home? Stuff happened. Roxas told himself that he'd been being ridiculous, expecting Axel to stick to the same routine, without change, every single day.

 

He stopped thinking that his concern was ridiculous when the ellipses disappeared and never came back.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

That Monday morning, two days later, Roxas waited outside his house, uneasily scanning the street for the first sight of Axel's approach. They always walked to school together. He'd be there.

 

Roxas had been imagining dozens of scenarios - worst case and otherwise - since that night, when all seven of his follow-up texts had gone without reply. Had he done something wrong? Was Axel mad at him? It was hard to imagine the redhead simmering in anger, without saying a word... He usually spoke up for himself.

 

Roxas had tried to remain calm. He didn't know that something was wrong; the feeling of dread that had coiled up in his chest was completely unfounded, but he just couldn't shake it. Intuition was something that science couldn't explain, after all, but... it wasn't without merit, either. There had been plenty of documented incidents where people had been spared from absolutely horrible fates because of a bad or nagging feeling.

 

No... Logic be damned. Roxas could feel it; something was wrong.

 

At this point, the blond was honestly starting to panic. In his darkest moments, he saw images of Axel being tortured by Heartless, or picked up by the police, or caught up in some weird conspiracy that involved a whole host of implausible things. That last one was his anxiety talking, Roxas knew, but still - _something_ was up.

 

Axel had never been late to meet him, before.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He'd waited as long as he possibly could, but Axel still hadn't shown up that morning. Roxas had to run in order to make it to school on time, though he almost considered skipping out so that he could look for Axel. He would have, if he'd known where the redhead lived. Wandering willy-nilly around town wouldn't help anything.

 

Instead, he went to his English Lit class and, at the first possible opportunity, asked for a bathroom pass. Roxas knew where Axel's first period history class was, so he figured that he'd take a look, just in case. Hopefully he'd be dozing off in his desk, as per usual.

 

Maybe Axel's phone was broken and... he'd gotten a ride to school? That would explain why he couldn't send a text, right? Though, if he were being honest, Roxas knew _that_ particular explanation was about as likely as a freak meteor accident - which had, admittedly, been one of his more hysterical, panic-ridden theories.

 

Rushing down the empty hallway, Roxas stood on tiptoe, looking through the small, dusty window of the history classroom. No sign of Axel; just an empty desk and a few curious glances directed his way. Dammit.

 

_Axel... Where are you?_

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

When there had still been no sight of Axel by lunchtime, Roxas got desperate.

 

In the end, he went to Demyx for help. Demyx been Axel's friend for a few years now - since they first started junior high, Roxas had been told - so he might know something that the blond didn't, to explain why Axel had all but vanished. He hoped so, anyway. He found Demyx and Zexion, together of course, sitting beneath one of the flowering jacaranda trees between the middle field and the cafeteria.

 

"He hasn't even sent you a text?" Demyx asked, once Roxas had explained the situation in full, "Since Saturday night?" His brows were knit together in obvious concern, which was echoed in his tone of voice. He'd even stopped strumming the light, happy tune on his guitar.

 

"No," Roxas verified, "I haven't heard from him since he left my place after dinner." The blond ran a hand through his hair, looking decidedly anxious.

 

Demyx bit the nail on his left index finger, looking both upset and thoughtful. "That isn't like Axel, at all," He said softly, almost to himself. A few moments later, he gave a soft gasp, his eyes widening. " _Dude_ ," He spoke, turning to Roxas and sounding so worried that it set the small blond's heart into a pounding overdrive of panic once again, "It - " Demyx paused, swallowed once, then looked into Roxas' eyes, "It might be his dad, again..."

 

"What do you mean, his dad?" Roxas frowned, adrenaline starting to course through his veins. There were a dozen explanations he could think of - which came into his mind like rapid fire - that would involve Axel's father. None of them were good.

 

"He's - " Demyx hesitated, then began again, "I mean, it's been a long time, and we don't know for sure, so we really shouldn't jump to conclusions..."

 

" _What_ about his dad, Demyx?" Roxas almost growled the words, not at all pleased by the stalling.

 

"He's an alcoholic," Zexion cut in, before Roxas could grab Demyx by the collar and shake the information out of him, "It had gotten better, but..." Even here, Zexion hesitated, "It used to get bad sometimes, Roxas. When he drank too much, he got violent, and Axel was the only person there for him to take it out on."

 

Then, as if to explain as quickly as possible before Roxas could fly off the handle, Demyx added, "Axel made us swear that we wouldn't report it to the cops or the protective services. We wanted to from the beginning, honest, it's just... he's all the family Axel has. He didn't want anything to happen to his dad, Roxas."

 

Roxas had already gone very still and very quiet. He felt as though his stomach had fallen through an endless hole in the floor, and his hands were shaking. Axel - _his_ Axel - could be in trouble... Could have been in trouble for _two whole days_ , all on his own. This was so much worse than the night he'd first found the redhead. Then, the solution had been obvious; beat up the Heartless and tend to the wounds. Now... well, the solution was still obvious, when it came right down to it.

 

"Demyx," the blond spoke quietly, but anger laced his words until they were hard and sharp like steel blades, with the promise of death in their wake, "I need you to show me where Axel lives."

 

"Roxas..." Demyx began weakly, obviously unsure of what to do or say, "Axel _definitely_ wouldn't want you to beat up his dad... and besides, third period starts soon, and - "

 

Neither Demyx or Zexion saw Roxas move, let alone throw the punch, but they heard the almighty crack and saw his knuckles pull back from the jacaranda tree's trunk, bloody. Purple blooms and petals fell around them, shaken from their branches by the impact of his fist; it was, frankly, terrifying.

 

" _Don't,_ " Roxas began, in much the same tones as before, "Don't you _ever_ insinuate that fucking _school_ is more important than Axel, _ever_ again." A silence fell between the three of them, for a moment, while Roxas forced his breathing to slow. Blood trickled freely from his knuckles, but he didn't give a damn.

 

"I need you to show me... where Axel lives," Roxas said again, sounding a little more calm, even if he didn't look it, "Please, Demyx."

 

Demyx didn't dare to refuse.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to one of my all-time favorite tropes: two injured hearts drifting together and forming the closest bond of all.
> 
> Still Roxas' POV. Things get a little sappy at the end. 
> 
> Trigger Warning: child abuse mention.

Chapter 8

 

On their way to Axel's place - which took about twenty minutes, walking - Roxas went through another few dozen scenarios in his mind. He tended to overthink things like that, whether they were confrontations or just normal social interactions. By the time they got there, Roxas had a plan of action to deal with a drunken angry father, a violent father, a violent father with a weapon, a hostage situation, an apparently normal father... and at least twenty other likely outcomes that he could affect.

 

What he wasn't prepared for was how normal the place looked.

 

It was an apartment, rather than a house; one of forty identical two-bedroom units that had popped up near the growing city center to house its workers. The walls were white and nearly pristine, the door was painted an emerald green, a brass number 21 graced the small hanging mailbox... It was just so average. There were potted plants on the patio; two ferns and a half-dead mini rose bush.

 

"Now what?" Demyx asked guardedly, fiddling with the strap for his guitar, which was thrown over his shoulder. He'd expressed his concerns throughout the entire walk, insisting that arriving unannounced on Axel's doorstep wasn't a good idea at all - _what if his dad was home??_ \- but he had still come.

 

So had Zexion; he had held Demyx's hand the entire way. "We'll follow your lead, Roxas," He suggested, "So long as you aren't planning an armed assault." The last bit prompted a single nervous laugh from his boyfriend.

 

"Don't be so melodramatic," Roxas scoffed, considering the layout of the apartment building and working that into his plan.

 

"Hey... Roxas?" Demyx's voice cut into the blond's thoughts, making his look over at his cousin, "Before we do... whatever we're going to do, can I talk to you? About Axel, I mean. And all of this stuff he's going through." The earnest tone of his voice was what made Roxas pause and turn toward him.

 

"Alright," Roxas agreed, crossing his arms loosely and shifting into a more comfortable stance, "What about Axel and his stuff?"

 

Before he continued, Demyx glanced at Zexion - who nodded in encouragement. "See," he began, "I mentioned that Axel doesn't have any other family... His mom died when he was a kid, just a little before we met. That's when his dad started drinking."

 

He paused again, as if waiting for Roxas to comment. The blond's only response was to nod his head; it was a common story, but that didn't really make any of this okay, in his opinion.

 

"Axel loves his dad," Demyx tried to explain, "He loves the man he used to be, y'know? That's why he doesn't just leave, or hit back. It's not because he's weak; it's because... he has hope. He wants his dad to go back to the way he was before. Pick up the pieces. I just want you to understand, before you see Axel. Your opinion means a lot to him." Then, in a sad whisper, he added, "It's not Axel's fault, Roxas."

 

Well, fuck. Roxas sighed, running a hand through his hair in thought. "Look, I get it," He started, before amending, "Well, no, I don't really get it, but I understand that it's not his fault. How could it be? And I know that ripping Axel a new one isn't going to help. Neither is leaving him here, though."

 

"What _do_ you plan to do?" Zexion asked, before Roxas could continue, "We didn't really discuss the matter on the way over. We're kind of in the dark." Then, as an afterthought, "In fact, all of this is speculation; we don't know what's going on with Axel."

 

"That's true," Demyx agreed, his voice lightening, "Hopefully, everything is fine!"

 

Everything was _not_ fine, Roxas knew, but now wasn't the time to argue. "Look, guys," He cut across the other's chatter, "We're going to see Axel and find out what's going on. Then, if we need to, we can reconvene at my place, or we can take him to a hospital, or whatever. Sound fair?" He waited until both Demyx and Zexion nodded, "Okay. So let's do this thing."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Rather than knocking on the front door - which Demyx flat-out refused to do, anyway - Roxas insisted on finding some small, smooth pebbles. Sometimes, cliches were cliches for a reason; they could throw the pebbles at Axel's window and, providing that Demyx was right about which window belonged to the redhead, they should be able to get his attention.

 

"You're _sure_ that it's the one on the left?" Roxas asked again, rolling a pebble between his thumb and forefinger, becoming accustomed to its shape and weight.

 

Demyx hesitated. Thank goodness they didn't need precision timing. "I... think so," He evaded, "It's been a while."

 

_Well_ , Roxas thought, _that's apparently as good an answer as I'm going to get_. Pulling his arm back, the blond aimed at the second-story window, the one on the left, and sent out a silent hope that it was Axel's window. Then, in one quick movement, he tossed the pebble. With a quiet _tap_ , it bounced off the glass.

 

They waited, breath held with trepidation... but nothing happened.

 

"Try the one on the right?" Zexion suggested, passing Roxas another pebble, "Or the same one, again? Maybe he didn't hear."

 

Considering his options, Roxas readied another throw, and tossed the second pebble at the same window. Once again, it bounced off the glass with a quiet _tap_. "I don't want to risk a bigger stone," He explained to the others, "Last thing we want to do is break a window."

 

After several more tries, on both windows, they were forced to concede that their plan just wasn't working. Roxas frowned; he didn't want to leave empty-handed, so to speak. "I'm going to try the door," He said out loud, decisively, already heading toward the stairs.

 

"Roxas, no!" Demyx gasped, coming alert like a startled cat, "What will you do if his dad answers the door?!"

 

Scoffing, the blond kept moving. "I don't care. Axel is more important," He insisted, starting to climb the emerald-painted wooden staircase, "If his dad answers, I'll make something up. It's not like he knows me, right?" _I should have done this from the very start_ , Roxas thought to himself, _but I was overthinking the problem, as usual_.

 

Demyx and Zexion came a little closer, but remained at the bottom of the stairs. "We're here as your backup," Zexion insisted easily, when Roxas looked back at them with a questioning look, one eyebrow raised, "If the worst should happen, we'll go for help."

 

"Gee, thanks," the blond muttered, rolling his eyes. Without hesitating, he raised a fist and knocked twice, quite firmly, on the door. A moment passed, then another... but finally, Roxas could hear quiet movement from the other side. Someone was coming.

 

A moment later, the door opened a scant six inches... and Axel was there, barely visible in the gap. "...Roxas," He said the blond's name softly; his full name, the blond noticed, hoping that wasn't a bad sign. Axel's tone was almost deadened, but Roxas thought that there was surprise in there, somewhere. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Looking for you," Roxas replied with a soft smile, "How's it going?"

 

Slowly, the redhead pushed the door all the way open, letting Roxas get a proper look at him; it was not a pretty sight. Axel was a mess. The left side of his face was a mass of bruises, his left eye was swollen almost shut, and there were dark, finger-shaped marks on the right side of his neck. He really had gotten beat up. Roxas winced in sympathy, trying to suppress the initial flood of anger that rose in him. _Focus on Axel_ , he told himself firmly.

 

"I've been better," Axel mentioned, needlessly. His gaze fell past Roxas, looking at the bottom of the stairs, "You got Demyx to show you the way?"

 

"Yeah," Roxas practically whispered, his voice heavy with all the emotions he tried not to show Axel, "I was worried about you, y'know?" He tried to smile, for Axel, but it was difficult. Slowly, he took in the rest of the redhead's appearance. It was hard to tell, but - judging by the ragged way he was breathing - Roxas guessed that Axel was concealing more injuries than he'd admit to.

 

Silence fell between them, for a moment, and Axel was the one to break it. "So... I'm guessing that they told you," He ventured, lifting his left hand a fraction before switching, using his right hand to brush through his hair, "...Why don't you say something? Yell at me, or whatever. Tell me that I'm stupid for staying. A total waste of space. A nobody." Axel was projecting, again.

 

Roxas felt as though his heart was breaking into a million pieces. He couldn't respond with words; not yet. Instead, he stepped forward and, very carefully, wrapped his arms around Axel. He was too afraid of hurting the redhead to fully embrace him; only his hands touched him at all, carefully brushing against his back, just to show that it _was_ an embrace. Roxas was suddenly glad, now that he'd seen the extent of the physical and emotional damage, that Demyx had made him stop and listen. As bad as he felt, he was sure that Axel felt even worse, and that the smallest of sharp words would have shattered him.

 

This wasn't about justice; not yet. Maybe not ever, as much as Roxas would like it to be. No; it was about Axel, and about what he needed to be okay _right now_. That was what Roxas needed to focus on. Everything else could wait until Axel was okay.

 

"You're somebody to me," the blond whispered, closing his eyes, trying to give Axel some time - as long as he needed.

 

A moment later, once the words had sunk in, the redhead sobbed, just once. He grabbed Roxas, crushing the blond against his chest in the tightest hug he could manage, heedless of the pain it caused him. Love hurt, after all.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

In the end, Roxas convinced Axel to come home with him, for the time being; not that it was too difficult. The redhead wouldn't let Roxas go, for starters.

 

Demyx had been the one to go back into the apartment to gather up the redhead's clothes and other necessities. He emerged with a bright red duffel bag held in both hands and assured Axel that he'd grabbed everything he could think of, including the cellphone charger and his emergency stash of money.

 

Then, it had been Roxas and Zexion who tended to Axel's wounds, while Demyx set about ordering pizza for the four of them. It really had been bad... Not only did Axel have a whole set of bruises and a black eye, but he also had several bruised - or possibly even cracked - ribs, and a severely sprained wrist on top of various other small injuries. They had to do the best they could with Roxas' first aid kit, since Axel flat-out refused to go to the emergency room.

 

The knowledge of what must have been done to him, judging by all of those injuries... it made Roxas sick to his stomach with anger, but he kept it quiet. Axel didn't need to hear that, right now.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Around midnight, Roxas found that he was completely unable to sleep. At first, he lay on the blow-up mattress that he'd set up on the floor of his room - he'd given Axel the bed with the new sheets - just letting his thoughts spin around and around for a while. Eventually, though, he figured that he might as well get up and do something since he was awake. With a sigh, he sat up, stretching...

 

Only to find that Axel was awake and sitting upright on his bed, as well, arms wrapped around his knees.

 

"Hey," the blond whispered softly, so as not to startle the redhead in the dark, "Can't sleep? Do you need anything?" Earlier, he'd found Axel some Vicodin in the medicine cabinet, leftover from when Sora had gotten a root canal, but it shouldn't have worn off yet. Still, the redhead might need some water, or just some conversation.

 

Axel shook his head once, before taking a deep breath, letting it out in a long, drawn-out sigh. "I didn't know what to say," He said eventually, completely out of the blue.

 

"What?" Roxas asked, his brows knitting together slightly in confusion. Had he missed something?

 

Axel glanced at him out of the corner of his swollen eye, looking almost ashamed. "I didn't know what to say," he repeated, "After... everything that happened. That's why I didn't answer your texts. I'm sorry, Roxie."

 

He was using the nickname again, Roxas noticed with some relief; hopefully that was a good sign. "You don't have to apologize, Axel," He assured the redhead earnestly, "I knew that something was wrong. I know you."

 

To Roxas' surprise, Axel's gaze softened and a small smile curves his lips, just a little. "You do," he agreed, "Better than anyone else." He looked away, then, and said something in a voice so soft that Roxas would have missed it, if he hadn't been waiting for Axel to speak again: "I'm afraid to go to sleep."

 

There was another moment of silence, then, but it didn't last long. Roxas grabbed his pillow and, very deliberately, crossed the carpeted floor and set it down on the bed next to Axel's own. "Scoot over," he whispered softly, "I'll stay with you, tonight. If you want."

 

The redhead looked up in surprise and, for a split second, Roxas worried that he'd done the wrong thing. Then, very carefully, Axel slid over closer to the wall, making room for the blond on the edge of the bed.

 

That was how they fell asleep, that night. Axel was on the inside, safe and secure, and Roxas was between the redhead and the rest of the world.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote my version of Demyx and Zexion's meeting, for anyone interested! It's called "Break-ups with Bouquets".
> 
> Dedicated to Cyrano, who saw the absolute worst parts of me, but believes in me anyway.
> 
> We're back to Axel's Point of View!

Chapter 9

 

It would take about a week for Axel's bruises to fade, at least two weeks for the sprain in his wrist to heal, and six weeks for his ribs to be completely fixed up, provided that they weren't worse than they thought. That wasn't the problem, though. The problem was the emotional damage and the fear that lingered with the redhead for days.

 

Not fear of his father; Axel had been dealing with that since he was a kid and he'd pretty much mastered the tactic of shoving all those thoughts away into a little black box at the back of his mind. No... he was afraid of what Roxas would say, when the blond decided that it was time to address the subject.

 

That terrified him.

 

Which was why, as soon as the redhead was able to move around normally - for the most part- with only the aid of some aspirin and a wrist brace, he decided that it was time to go back to school. If he acted okay, then maybe Roxas would believe that he was okay. Or at least be willing to let it go.

 

He was still at Roxas' house - had been for four days, now - but luckily Demyx had thrown everything from Axel's bathroom into the red duffel bag, including his cover-up kit. _The fact that I have a cover-up kit_ , Axel mused to himself as he dug out the liquid foundation and powder, _says a lot... and I don't think it says a lot of_ good _, either._

If Roxas had known, he probably would have gotten that hard look in his eyes, even while he tried to keep a smile on his face for Axel.

 

It was thanks to the blond that Axel was already feeling like himself again, really. He had stuck so carefully to their normal routine that the redhead couldn't help but start to smile, even now. Axel had insisted that Roxas should still go to school, even if he couldn't, and while it made the blond unhappy, he had acquiesced.

 

Once Roxas was away at school, however, Axel discovered just how much his smile depended on having him around. He found himself pacing, with nothing to do, until lunchtime. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a bowl of cereal in front of him, missing the blond badly... when his phone rang. It was Roxas.

 

"Hello?" He spoke tentatively into the phone, unsure if maybe the blond had just pocket-dialed him, or something.

 

"Hey, Axel," Roxas' voice came through the phone, his tone betraying that he had a smile on his face, "I thought I'd call, since we're eating lunch separately, today." They talked for the entire forty-five minutes before Roxas had to go to gym; it helped, a lot.

 

On top of that, Roxas had picked up Moogle Burger takeout when he got out of school, bringing Axel a Pig on a Raft. Axel had almost fucking cried when he saw that soft smile and the bag with the little moogle on it. How was Roxas so damn amazing?

 

After about a half hour in the bathroom, at six in the morning, Axel had almost completely hidden the bruises on his face. Even considering that the swelling around his eye had gone down, he had looked pretty bad... No wonder Roxas had looked so horrified when he'd first come to the door, all battered and -

 

Nope! Axel wasn't gonna think about that; time to shove those thoughts into the box.

 

Slipping out of the bathroom, Axel crept down the hallway, heading for the kitchen with thoughts of breakfast on his mind. Pancakes, he decided, would help, and neither Roxas or Sora had ever objected to the redhead cooking. He just hoped that he could find everything he needed before the twins woke up.

 

"Flour, eggs, sugar..." the redhead sang softly to himself, starting to search through the cupboards, "Milk, baking soda, salt..." Maybe everything would be okay, after all.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel's optimism had faded a little when he left the safety of Roxas' house and walked down to the sidewalk, waiting for the blond to lock the door and join him. School seemed a little overwhelming, suddenly, as it often did after an _incident_... At least it would be a quiet walk, since Sora wouldn't be joining them.

 

Sora had left fifteen minutes ago, to catch his ride to Destiny High. When Axel had discovered _that_ little fact over breakfast, he proceeded joke, quite gleefully, about the star fruit on the Destiny High gym uniform; the brunet was subsequently driven to pouting, dignity wounded beyond repair, while his twin and the redhead laughed at his "fruity ass".

 

"Ready to go?" Roxas asked as he appeared at Axel's side, interrupting the redhead's silent thoughts.

 

"Yeah," He assured the blond, flashing a passing version of his usual grin, "Was just thinking, that's all. No worries, Roxie." Reaching out with his brace-wrapped hand, Axel ruffled Roxas' hair in reassurance. The blond bore it with good humor, though he ran a  hand through his hair to fix it the second Axel stopped and began to walk down the street.

 

No worries... _right_. That was why his chest felt hollow and his hands were shaking. Such a damn liar. If he was okay, then Axel wouldn't be so close to an outright panic attack. He kept his focus on the ground and his red canvas shoes, just trying to keep it together. He just had to get through the day at school and be normal again. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out...

 

Maybe that was why, halfway to school, he didn't immediately notice that the blond had vanished from his side. Stopping, Axel blinked, glanced around, then turned. He spotted Roxas back at the last cross-street, just standing there, looking thoughtful.

 

"Roxie?" Axel called out, confused. Slowly, he strode back to the blond, waiting for an explanation. This wasn't like Roxas; they were going to be late, if they hung around here for too long.

 

"Hey," Roxas began when Axel drew closer, his voice starting out contemplative and becoming more certain as he spoke, "I was just thinking... Let's take a mental health day. I could totally go for some sea salt ice cream, right now." He smiled, then, looking up at Axel as though he'd just suggested the best thing ever.

 

Axel was shocked and... _really_ confused. His brows knit together as he spoke, uncertain about this turn of events, "Didn't... you say that you had a biology exam today?"

 

"Yeah," the blond admitted, tilting his head slightly to one side, "But... you're more important, Axel." He paused for a moment, maybe to let those words sink in, before adding, "C'mon, let's get some ice cream and go back to the clock tower, okay? School can wait. Life can wait."

 

_Life can wait... huh_.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

That was how, against all odds, Axel found himself holding a sea salt ice cream bar, sitting up on the dilapidated clock tower with his best friend, who was skipping school for the first time. It was... _really_ nice.

 

At least, until Roxas broke the silence between them, as Axel had known - actually dreaded - that he would. "Hey, Axel," came his voice over the sound of the crinkling ice cream wrapper, "I know that... you don't really wanna talk about it - "

 

"No," Axel cut in, a little more harshly than he'd intended to, "I really don't."

 

Roxas seemed to have expected that, though, because he forged on, surprising the redhead with his next words, "And that's fine. You don't have to talk about it. Just..." He paused, unsure of how to say it, "I just want you to know that you really are important, okay? No matter what."

 

There was a small pause, during which neither of them really knew what to say. Finally, Roxas broke in with the one other thing that he'd almost refrained from saying: "None of this was your fault, Axel."

 

Then, rather than saying anything, the redhead smiled. Slowly, he leaned over, bumping Roxas lightly with his shoulder before straightening once again. And that was it; the rain cloud of looming unpleasant conversation was dispersed, leaving them with the quiet, companionable silence that Axel had enjoyed from the very beginning of their friendship.

 

He should have known that Roxas would understand.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"So..." Axel spoke, breaking the silence between them a little while later, "Why don't you and Sora go to the same school? Not that I'm complaining - the kid is even more hyperactive than Demyx and I don't think I could handle the two of them at the same time - but...?" He let his words trail off as he glanced over at the blond sitting beside him.

 

It took Roxas a moment to collect his thoughts. "I decided... that I needed a change, that's all. But Sora was happy at Destiny High, with his friends, so he stayed," he answered nonchalantly, with a shrug, "It suits us both."

 

"What about _your_ other friends?" Axel persisted, despite the small stab of jealousy he felt at the thought. It hadn't occurred to him before, but it was all too likely that Roxas had another group of friends that he would hang out with. Of course he did. Why hadn't he ever mentioned them to Axel? Had he ever mentioned Axel to _them_?

 

The blond gave a rueful half-smile, however, and returned the question with one of his own, "What other friends?"

 

"Now you're just fucking with me," Axel insisted, unable to stop himself and unable to believe Roxas' words, "There's no way you didn't have friends at your old school. I call bullshit."

 

"It's true," Roxas shrugged, turning his gaze out over the city beneath their feet, "I don't usually click with people very easily... Current company excluded." He took a small bite of his ice cream before adding, "I told you; I tend to fade into the background, Axel."

 

Then he'd been right, all those weeks ago, on the first day they'd met, Axel realized; Roxas - bad-ass, cute, compassionate, interesting, _amazing_ Roxas - really didn't have any friends, back then. He almost felt that twinge of pain return to his heart, but then he came to another realization, which brought a smile to his face, instead. _He does now_.

 

"So long as I can fade into that background with you," He said out loud, contemplating his half-eaten, dripping ice cream, "Then that's fine with me, Roxie."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached the double digits! There are at least eight chapters left to go, too. 
> 
> This one is dedicated to everyone facing the constant battle against clinical depression. Fight on, my friends; the road to recovery is long, but worth it.

Chapter 10

 

One week after Axel and Roxas had taken their mental health day, the third semester ended and the forth had begun; which meant that they had all new classes. Much to his distress, the redhead found that he now shared _no_ classes with Roxas now that they didn't have gym. They had math during the same period, turned out, but Axel was stuck back in algebra while Roxas was taking some college-credit statistics class. So uncool.

 

As a result, the redhead was becoming an even more frequent visitor at Roxas and Sora's house. Before school, after school, on the weekend, Axel could be seen hanging around, at some time or other, every single day; which meant it came as no surprise when he stayed after school on Friday, to help Roxas make dinner.

 

They were working on making chicken strips; with Panko instead of regular breading, Axel was interested to note, as well as brown sugar in the spice mix. The redhead had been given the _messy-as-fuck_ assembly line job. He would dip the chicken pieces into the flour and spice mixture, followed by a milk and egg slurry, then he'd repeat the first two steps again - for maximum mess, he could only assume - and finally coat the slippery strips in Panko. Then Roxas would fry them up.

 

However much unnecessary trouble the redhead thought they were going through, he couldn't deny that they looked and smelled delicious.

 

"Sometimes the end result is worth a little extra trouble and mess," Roxas had mentioned smugly, when he caught Axel staring with anticipation at the finished strips that were laid out on a paper-towel covered plate.

 

"Especially when you can make someone else do the messy part," Axel pointed out grumpily, glaring at the blond in mock-disdain. All that did was make Roxas laugh which, in turn, made the redhead break into a smile.

 

The chicken strips would be accompanied by homemade french fries, Axel was delighted to discover. He was a tiny bit less delighted when it turned out that his job was, _as usual_ , peeling the potatoes. It almost made him laugh.

 

"Why doesn't Sora ever have to help?" He asked suddenly, halfway through peeling his third potato, "I notice that he gets to eat, but he never joins us in the kitchen. What's up with that?" Then, grinning as an idea occurred to him, Axel added, "Maybe we should call and tell him that he can only have dinner if he brings dessert!"

 

Laughing, Roxas picked up his phone, unlocking the protection screen and passing it over to Axel. "Good idea," He agreed, surprising the redhead, "You tell him; the last strips are almost ready to come out."

 

Thus, Axel typed a quick message to Sora, through Roxas' phone, grinning like a maniac all the while: _Roxie says you have to bring dessert if you want to eat tonight - Axel_. Then, without another thought about it, he set the phone face-down on the table and returned to his potato peeling.

 

Even if he wasn't as fond of the brunet as he was of Roxas, Axel did like Sora well enough. He definitely reminded the redhead of Demyx, though slightly less tolerable. It didn't help that Axel still thought he short-changed Roxas when it came to the household chores, but... technically, that was none of his business. Either way, it was nice to see Roxas poking at his twin a bit in return; even if it had been Axel's idea.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel had just finished setting the table - another job that Roxas tended to give him - when he heard the familiar sound of the front door unlock, open, then slam shut. "Here comes the whirlwind," He remarked to Roxas, smirking, "Wonder what he brought us."

 

"It better be good," Roxas remarked, placing platters nearly overflowing with food on the table, "Dinner took us an hour."

 

Mere seconds later, Sora rounded the corner and entered the kitchen in a blur - which is why he had earned the nickname "whirlwind" from Axel. "I brought a Destiny cake!" the brunet announced, referring to a famous local dessert from the same vicinity of his school.

 

Blinking, Axel stood up, making his way toward Sora. He then looked at the brunet's empty hands, glanced around, and even making a show of peering into Sora's pockets. "I give up," he said finally, placing his hands on his hips, "How did you make it invisible?"

 

"Don't be silly," Sora laughed, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "Riku's got it!" Almost before he could even finish speaking, a tall, silver-haired teen came up behind him, a red confectionery box balanced carefully in one hand.

 

Axel recognized him. Riku - the fucking leader of the Guardians of Heart. _Oh, son of a pretentious bitch-fucking whore_... Apparently Roxas recognized him too, because the blond went stiff at the sight of him, sucking a breath in through clenched teeth.

 

"Sorry we're late," Riku was saying, apparently not having noticed Axel yet; he was too busy looking fondly at Sora. "We had to stop and get gas -" he began to explain, but stopped dead when he finally turned and caught sight of the kitchen occupants. " _You?!_ " Riku half-shouted, surprise coloring his voice and dislike bringing a frown to his expression.

 

" _You_ ," Axel agreed darkly, silly as the word sounded when repeated, returning the glare as his hands balled into fists.

 

The only one who didn't seem to know what was going on was Sora, who looked anxiously between each of the taller teens. "What...?" He began, confusion evident in his tone, "You two know each other?" Then, a little more urgently, "Riku, what's wrong?"

 

"Axel," Roxas' voice cut through the animosity in the air, "Chill out, just a sec." He had moved to stand beside him and his hand had touched the redhead's wrist, but that was it. Still, it was apparently enough.

 

Warily, albeit reluctantly, Axel relaxed, letting his fists go slack at his sides. He kept his gaze on Riku, just in case, but his words were for Roxas. " _This_... is Sora's boyfriend?" the redhead guessed, incredulously.

 

Roxas nodded, "Yup... in the flesh." Then, a little sheepishly, the blond brushed a hand through his hair. "I didn't realize he'd be coming, or I would have warned you. I'm sorry, Axel; it's my fault."

 

In the interim, Riku - _pretentious bastard_ \- had turned and said something quietly to Sora, who had nodded in reply... but Axel wasn't able to hear the words that passed between them. Probably something similar to what he and Roxas were discussing; that he was, in fact, here as Roxas' guest and not invading.

 

"Not your fault your brother has no taste," Axel snorted quietly, before forcing a smile to his face and raising his voice, "I guess we'll just have to call a truce, huh, Pretty Boy? Neutral territory, and all that." Truce or not, the redhead couldn't hold the insult back.

 

Riku shot him a glare, but responded with remarkable dignity, "I suppose we will," he agreed, apparently without a clever insult in return, "Though, you should know that Sora is a Guardian of Heart too. I think the territory is skewed a little more in my favor than yours." Oh, Axel wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug-ass grin off his smug-ass _face_ , just then.

 

"Unless _I've_ joined the Organization," Roxas cut in, with an _I-totally-have_ tone to his clipped words. For a moment, there was silence in the sparkling-clean kitchen.

 

"You have not!" Sora asserted, once he'd gotten over the initial shock, though he didn't sound too sure, "You never told _me_ that you did! Since when?" After a short pause, in which Axel could practically see the gears spinning in his head, the brunet burst out, "You're not serious; you're just trying to make a point."

 

Without a word, Roxas reached down and pulled his shirt off in one swift motion - which Axel couldn't help admiring, despite the dramatic situation. Turning, the blond displayed his back and, right there, in the customary spot, was the Roman numeral for thirteen. Beneath it were the words " _Serendipitous Key_ ". Once he assumed that they'd looked their fill, Roxas turned back around, arms crossing over his chest, and pointed out, "Puts us right back where we started, doesn't it?"

 

If Axel's expression was comical, in its shock, then it was _nothing_ compared to the look on Sora and Riku's faces.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"When the _hell_ did you join the Organization?!" Axel asked, offended at being left in the dark about it. He brought it up at the absolute earliest opportunity, once he and Roxas were alone again. He was trying not to shout, since Riku and Sora were still in the house too, after all, but it was difficult to hold back.

 

How could Roxas not tell him?

 

Dinner had been awkward, to say the least, but the truce had held. There had even been some conversation - facilitated by an increasingly desperate Sora - that hadn't been utterly awful. It was almost civil, in fact. Had they not met across enemy lines, Axel might almost have gotten along with Riku. Almost.

 

Still, throughout the entire meal, Axel's thoughts were going around and around in his mind, almost nonstop. Roxas had joined the Organization. Roxas had joined the Organization without telling him about it. Roxas had joined the Organization without telling him about it and the truth had come out because of _Riku_.

 

Roxas rolled his eyes, dragging Axel back to the present. "I haven't, you dork... and I haven't even decided if I'm going to, yet. I just said that to get Riku off your back," He admitted, averting his gaze in irritation, "It's not even a real tattoo; Demyx drew it on me today, after our history test. He's the one who suggested it." When a short pause ensued, he added testily, "It's just copic marker, Axel. Chill out."

 

That deflated the redhead, entirely. Oh.

 

 _Shit_ , Axel cursed inwardly, tugging awkwardly at a lock of his hair, _I am... really glad that I didn't say everything I was thinking._

 

"Roxie..." He began, a clearly remorseful tone in his voice, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flipped, I just..." With a sigh, Axel turned to look at Roxas' back, which was turned toward him, "I was surprised when I saw the ta - err, the drawing, I mean. I thought that you'd joined up without even mentioning it, to me. That's all."

 

"Oh," Roxas half-snapped, not yet pacified, "Well, _excuse_ me. I wasn't aware that you'd be so against having me in that part of your life, Axel."

 

 _Shit... Why don't I just eat my own foot?_ "That's not it, Roxie, okay?" Axel continued, feeling like an ass, "Look, I'd be more than happy if you joined up. Honestly! But if you did, I'd wanna know about it." He attempted a small smile, though he knew he was still in hot water, "I mean, hell, I'd be the one throwing your initiation party, y'know?"

 

"It's whatever," Roxas grumbled, not giving silence a chance to build between them. He really was ticked over Axel's apparent rejection; the redhead could see that, plain as day. To be fair, he would have been, too.

 

"No," Axel insisted, "It's not whatever. I was stupid, and being a jerk, and I'm sorry." Doggedly, he continued, "If you wanna join, I'll take you to Xemnas myself, Roxie. I'll even do your tattoo. I know that you'd be accepted in a heartbeat. Just... I'm sorry."

 

This time, there was a pause. It lasted for a moment... then another... and eventually, Axel started to panic, wondering if he'd just royally fucked up the best thing in his entire life. Finally, just before he could actually start grovelling, Roxas turned and sat down on the edge of his bed, looking up at Axel with that wry smile of his.

 

"Demyx already designed the tattoo," the blond pointed out, apparently deciding to forgive Axel's moment of stupidity.

 

"I'd make it better," Axel insisted immediately, almost overjoyed, "Forget _Serendipitous Key_ ; how lame is that? I'm thinking..." He paused, dramatically, before announcing, " _Key of Destiny~!_ That has a _much_ better ring to it." Then, at the amused look on Roxas' face, he added quickly, "If you do decide to join, that is."

 

Laughing at the redhead's antics, Roxas shook his head before looking back up at Axel, grinning. "I'll think about it," He promised.

 

With that grin, the redhead felt the pieces of his world settle, gently, back into place.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to everyone who has ever put off doing something important because they were afraid.

Chapter 11

 

"So, Axel," Demyx began, lifting his head from Zexion's shoulder, "What _is_ going on between you and Roxas, anyway?"

 

The three of them were actually waiting for the aforementioned blond outside the Hollow Bastion bank, at that moment. Initially, they'd stood in line with him, but when Roxas went into one of those fancy offices to talk to a... banking professional, or whatever, they weren't allowed to join him. Confidentiality, and all that.

 

"Be more specific, Dem," Axel suggested languidly, lounging against the wall by the parking lot. He wasn't in the mood to decode the meaning in his friend's speech, today.

 

With a put-upon sigh, Demyx did his best. "I mean, you're still crushing on him, right?" He began, gesturing freely as he spoke, "Have you told him? Are you guys dating? Axel, I can't believe you might be dating and you haven't even told us!"

 

"...Demyx, your logic is infallible," Zexion murmured sarcastically, obviously amused.

 

He earned a glare from his boyfriend. "You know what I mean," Demyx insisted, before turning back to Axel, "So, c'mon! Give us the dirt!"

 

With a sigh, Axel answered all of Demyx's questions in order, without preface, just to be difficult. "Yes, no, no, _aaaaand_... don't be stupid, Dem."

 

Groaning loudly in exasperation, Demyx stomped his foot and pouted at Axel. "You are _impossible!"_ He insisted, pointing at the redhead in question, "You have been crushing on Roxas for _forever_ , and if you don't say something," he glanced behind Axel when the bank doors open, but continued when he saw that it wasn't Roxas, "Then nothing is _ever_ going to happen."

 

"Look, Dem," Axel began, turning to look at his friend, "I've been meaning to ask you. You're his cousin; is Roxas even _into_ guys? He's never said anything to me about it."

 

That, surprisingly, took the wind out of Demyx's sails, for a moment. He blinked, then paused to consider the question. "I... don't know," He admitted, abashedly, "He's never said anything to me, either."

 

 _Unhelpful_. Axel sighed, fiddling with the zipper on his hoodie for a moment, lost in thought.

 

"For what it's worth, I think Roxas might be ace," Zexion put in, suddenly, not even bothering to look up from the book in his hands. For how little he seemed to care, he sure managed to shock the other two into silence - however temporary.

 

"Ace...?" Demyx asked, tilting his head to once side, clearly lost, "Like in a deck of cards?"

 

Zexion shot him an incredulous look. " _No_. Ace, as in asexual." At the continued blank stare from his boyfriend, he sighed. "When someone is asexual, it means - in _very_ basic terms - that they aren't interested in sex, or feel sexual attraction to anyone."

 

That seemed to strike a chord, at least. "Ohh..." Demyx intoned, a look of comprehension dawning on his face.

 

"How do you know?" Axel asked as soon as he'd processed the information, "Demyx doesn't even know about Roxas' sexuality, and he's related to him."

 

"Yeah," Demyx agreed, leaning in a little closer, " _I_ don't even know that!"

 

Glancing up, Zexion saw that both Axel and Demyx were focused entirely on him. So, with a sigh, he removed his bookmark from the book's inner cover and slipped it between the pages before giving up on reading it for now. "Have either of you ever seen Roxas checking anyone out?" He asked, as if it were obvious, "Or heard him call anyone attractive?"

 

"No," Axel admitted, trying to think back. Demyx shook his head, apparently agreeing with the redhead.

 

Zexion simply made a gesture that could be interpreted as: _well, there you go_. It seemed as if that was the only contribution he was interested in making, just now. That left Axel and Demyx to look at one another in thoughtful silence.

 

"So..." Demyx, of course, was the one to break it, "Is that such a huge deal to you, Axel? If Roxas isn't interested in sex, I mean?"

 

"Of course not," Axel snapped at Demyx, frowning in irritation, "Don't be stupid. Roxas means more to me than some... piece of ass, or whatever. Shit, Dem, _seriously_."

 

"Well!" Demyx threw his hands up in the air to illustrate his point, "Then what the heck's your problem? Just tell Roxas how you feel!"

 

"I _can't_ , Dem," the redhead snapped again, feeling more frazzled than he had in quite a while. At his friend's incredulous look, Axel kind of... went off. "No, I mean I _literally_ can't," he snapped again, getting suddenly to his feet and beginning to pace, "What if, I tell Roxas and - _surprise!_ \- it freaks him the fuck out? _I just can't_ , Dem!" The last bit came out as a shout, laden with emotion.

 

Axel hadn't even meant to get started, but now that the dam was released, there was apparently no stopping it. Taking a step toward Demyx, then away again, he continued, his voice becoming more frantic as he went on, "What am I gonna do if I tell Roxas and he's just _disgusted_? What if telling him crosses the line, or something, and he goes back to Destiny High? Or tells me that he never wants to see me again? That..." Suddenly, Axel stopped and totally deflated, his words slowing down as he thought about them, "I just can't handle that, Dem, okay?"

 

The emotional display had not only stopped Demyx cold, but it made Zexion take notice too, his expression surprisingly blank. They both looked... shocked. Understandably so; this was the most Axel had actually said about his feelings in ages.

 

Shakily, Axel ran a hand through his hair, then grabbed at the spikey red locks instead, trying to get a hold of himself. "I can't... lose Roxas," He said softly, looking away from his friends, "If Roxas isn't around, then... my life just wouldn't be worth living anymore." It scared him. _Fuck_ , did it scare him.

 

Before either of them could say anything, Axel averted his gaze again, turning toward the bank doors. Almost pleadingly, he said again, his voice a bare whisper, "Just drop it, Dem. _Please_."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

And then life was a cruel, sadistic _bitch_. That's what Axel would say, later, when he recalled what happened next.

 

Roxas had come out of the bank a little while after the awkward silence had started and apologized for making them wait. It was fine, of course; all three of them said so. Though, Axel could only assume that the other two were extremely thankful to have something to focus on besides his earlier outburst.

 

Then they went to Scrooge's ice cream parlor, which was the original plan. It was nice, just like always. Everyone got sea salt ice cream, just like they always did; no one could ever bring themselves to try a different flavor, when their usual was just perfect already.

 

After that, they had split up. Zexion had to babysit some little cousin, or something, and Demyx was going along to help. Hinder, maybe, depending on your definitions. They walked off, then, hand in hand. The redhead figured that he'd be a subject of their conversation very soon, and he only hoped that they would honor his wishes and do nothing about it. Those two as wing-men, he did not need.

 

That left him and Roxas.

 

"Wanna come over for dinner?" the blond asked, as he usually did, "I was thinking about making something easy tonight, but you're more than welcome." Then, with a smirk, he added, "Don't worry; Riku and Sora won't be joining us."

 

Grinning, Axel threw an arm around him, "You know I can't say no to your cooking, Roxie - and it only tastes better with a lack of Pretty Boy. I'm surprised you even ask, anymore." That was it; understated and familiar. It was great.

 

Axel hadn't heard the car. Or maybe he had, but he hadn't realized the significance.

 

They were talking as they walked to Roxas' house - about what, he couldn't even remember, at this point - and laughing. Axel had removed his arm from the blond's shoulders so that he could freely make gestures to illustrate his point, which is probably what saved him, in the end.

 

Something had made Roxas glance back; intuition, maybe, or whatever. He saw the battered old sedan that drove their way - too fast, for a residential street - with its passenger side window rolled down. The blond saw when the Heartless goon had leaned out the window, and he saw the baseball bat in his hands. Axel was walking on the street-side of the sidewalk. Roxas didn't think; he reacted.

 

The next thing Axel knew, Roxas had grabbed onto his arm, tightly. Before he could ask, or even fully focus on the grip, the small blond had shifted his weight, using centrifugal force to swing the redhead around. Axel fell, then, toward the lush, green suburban front yard. He landed in the grass on his side, with a muffled _thump_ , unsure of what the hell had just happened.

 

He had the perfect view of Roxas, from down there. The redhead saw those perfect blue eyes, wide with panic, just as they softened, satisfied... And then he saw the baseball bat clip the back of Roxas' head.

 

The blond fell, and it seemed to take forever. Axel tried to rush to his feet, and it took even longer. He was too late.

 

Too late.

 

_Too late._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel summoned the entire block with his screaming.

 

They couldn't even pry him off of Roxas, when the ambulance arrived. The paramedics had to take him along too, trying to ask him questions as they sped to the hospital, sirens blaring. As if they'd actually get any sense out of the hysterical redhead. He had no idea how much time it had all taken; all that mattered was that Roxas hadn't opened his eyes. Axel might never see those beautiful blue eyes again.

 

What is the patient's name? _Roxas. His name is Roxas._

 

How old is Roxas? _Seventeen. Nine months younger than he is, because Roxas' birthday is December twenty-second and Axel's is on March twenty-eighth._

 

Had he seen what happened? _Fuck yes, Axel had, and he was going to kill those fucking bastards in their sleep.The Heartless wouldn't fucking know what hit them._

 

Is Roxas allergic to anything? _He didn't know... Why had he never asked him that?_

 

Is Roxas on any medications? _No, Axel didn't think so. He'd never seen Roxas take anything, at least..._

 

Had Roxas been drinking or taking drugs? _No... Roxas wouldn't do anything like that._

 

Did he know how to contact Roxas' parents? _Yes, there was a number in the blond's phone labeled "Mom and Dad". He'd seen it when Roxas asked him to text Sora, weeks ago._

 

How was he related to Roxas? _He was... Roxas was his best friend. Maybe more than that, if Axel had ever had the guts to say something._

 

The paramedics placed an oxygen mask over Roxas' nose and mouth, but they had to hold it in place; they wouldn't risk trying to strap it on, because of the head injury. There were a few other monitors hooked up to him in short order, but Axel didn't know what they were - only that every time one of them beeped, he breathed one more time. If they stopped... that meant that Roxas would stop, and then Axel would stop too.

 

The whole ride, the redhead watched them check Roxas' vitals, feeling absolutely worthless. He had no idea how to help - _fuck_ , he wished that he did - and the jargon the paramedics shouted at one another didn't mean shit to Axel. For all he knew... it was already too late. It couldn't be too late.

 

In the end, they had to give Axel a tranquilizer shot, to make him calm down. That was the only way that they were able to rush Roxas into the emergency room without the redhead giving chase. In the end, he was placed in a waiting room chair, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and told to wait.

 

Axel held his phone in trembling hands. Roxas...

 

He sent Demyx a text, but it was kind of messed up. It didn't help that Axel couldn't see the tiny virtual keypad on the screen, because his eyes were overflowing with tears. The text read: _I should have told him/ roxas is in er, pleawe come._


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, it will all come full circle by the end. I'm not just throwing random incidents together and calling it a plot.
> 
> Dedicated to all the kids who used to print fanfiction out at school to read later because they didn't have internet access at home.

Chapter 12

 

Roxas had been extremely lucky, the ER surgeon told Axel later. The baseball bat had only just clipped him; at the velocity the car must have been going, a more solid strike would have reduced the blond's skull to pudding - not the surgeon's exact words, but that was what Axel understood them to mean. If Roxas had been just six inches closer, he wouldn't have survived.

 

Six inches closer. Exactly where Axel had been standing.

 

If Roxas hadn't acted... hadn't slung the redhead around and out of the way, then Axel would be dead right now, rather than drinking hot, strong black coffee out of a thin Styrofoam cup. He would be dead, and Roxas would be okay. _Fuck..._

 

So now, sitting on his own in the dimly lit hospital room, Axel was absolutely _drowning_ in the knowledge that his best friend had taken a bullet for him, pretty literally. It was a wonder that he hadn't needed another dose of tranquilizer, after speaking with the surgeon. As it was, his hands were shaking, causing ripples to dance across the surface of his coffee.

 

_I'm so sorry, Roxas..._

 

When he'd sent the text earlier, Demyx had rushed over from Zexion's house, distraught, and taken charge of things. From then on, Axel could only remember bits and pieces. At one point, Sora must have been contacted because he showed up with the pretentious bastard in tow. He cried buckets at his brother's bedside. The redhead could empathize.

 

Axel was in shock, they'd been told, which was normal after witnessing such a traumatic injury. That was why he wasn't right next to Sora, crying just as hard. For his part, Axel felt as though his heart had been ripped out of his chest and shredded. No... that wasn't quite right. His heart had been hit by a baseball bat and was lying, unconscious, in a hospital bed.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

That night, they all stayed in the hospital, passing out on couches and armchairs. Everyone but Axel. He stayed awake, the entire night, staring into Roxas' face. His injury had been wrapped and, in this light, the bandages faded into his hair. The blond could almost just be sleeping peacefully.

 

The redhead had tried to sleep, at first. He'd curled up in the chair beside Roxas' bed and pillowed his head on his arms. He almost dozed off, but all he could see, when he closed his eyes, was Roxas laying still on the pavement... with a pool of blood forming under his head. Axel's eyes snapped open immediately and he sat bolt upright. Shuddering, the redhead decided that sleep deprivation was definitely preferable over the possibility of nightmares and memories.

 

With a soft yawn, he resumed his bedside vigil. From what he knew about head trauma, Roxas could be out of it for a few days. Admittedly, what Axel knew about head trauma had come from a medical diagnostic website that he'd found on his phone during the wait to hear from the surgeon. So he wasn't sure that his understanding was entirely accurate. Whatever else happened, Axel would be there, with Roxas.

 

More than anything else in the entire world, he wanted to see those beautiful blue eyes open.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel didn't leave the hospital for the next three days. Everyone else came and spent time there too, of course, but they all eventually went home to sleep. The pretentious bastard - ....Riku. Riku usually had to lead Sora away from his twin's bed and make him attend to his own needs. Often, he said the same sort of things to Axel, but the redhead didn't listen. He wasn't leaving.

 

Riku wasn't the only one. Both Demyx and Zexion had tried to get the redhead to go home, too; to eat something, to take a rest... but no. Axel wouldn't be moved from that room. His heart was in that bed, and he wasn't leaving. Not until Roxas could leave with him.

 

This was all his fault.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

By the second day, Axel had interrogated enough of the nurse staff to understand what the various monitors were for and what the readings meant. He watched them obsessively, mentally cataloging every beep. The signs were all good, each nurse confirmed for him, quite kindly, before leaving the room.

 

But then... why wasn't Roxas waking up?

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Every night, rather than sleep, he replayed the incident in his mind. Over and over, countless times, Axel relived that moment. It was like his mind was trying desperately to find a way to do it over. To keep Roxas from getting hurt.

 

The redhead wished that Roxas hadn't noticed the car. Or that the car had been loud enough that they'd both noticed and gotten out of the way in time. He wished, desperately, that he would have been strong enough to defend himself against the four Heartless, the very first night they'd met. Even if, subsequently, he had never gotten to meet Roxas... then at least then the blond wouldn't be laying in that hospital bed, right now.

 

It would be worth it, however heartbreaking, to save him from this.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

On the fourth morning, Axel was dozing in the chair next to Roxas' bed, his elbows braced on his knees and his head in his hands. It wasn't comfortable, not in the slightest, but it worked; the redhead could get some rest, but he couldn't sleep deeply enough for his mind to throw up reminders of the way Roxas' golden hair had mingled with the growing pool of scarlet blood beneath him. All his fault.

 

When the steady beep of the heart monitor stopped, Axel was aware of it _immediately_. He instantly surged to his feet, already slamming the Call Nurse button with all his might... and then he noticed that Roxas was sitting, upright, in bed. The blond had been clumsily yanking the various cords and sensors off his skin, but now he was staring, wide-eyed with surprise, at Axel.

 

At first, the redhead thought it was a dream.

 

"....Roxas?" Axel whispered thickly, his voice gone hoarse from the lack of sleep and an overabundance of coffee. Before he got an answer, the redhead had flung his arms around the blond, pulling him as close as he could manage and holding him there.

 

_Roxas_.

 

After a moment - a _far_ too short moment, in Axel's opinion - Roxas was pushing at the redhead's chest, trying to put some distance between them. "Um..." He began, the tone of his voice betraying confusion.

 

"It's okay," Axel was quick to reassure him, though he didn't let go, "You're in the hospital, Roxie, but everything's okay." _It's okay now,_ the redhead told himself as well, _his eyes are open... He's okay._

 

"Um," Roxas repeated doubtfully, which finally gave the redhead pause. Slowly, Axel let the blond push him back, so that he could peer down at him. Those beautiful blue eyes, the ones that the redhead had wished so desperately to see again... they were frowning at him.

 

"You... you _are_ okay, aren't you?" Axel asked, trying to keep the panic rising in him under control, "Shit, did I hurt you? I'm sorry!" He let go quickly - albeit reluctantly - and took a step back, holding his hands up as if to keep himself from embracing Roxas again.

 

For a surreal moment, there was silence. It wasn't companionable, or even awkward; it was a weird... hostile silence. Roxas stared at him, and Axel stared back, concern knitting his brows. "I don't mean to be rude," the blond spoke finally, a very definite edge in his voice despite the slow and deliberate way he put the words together, "But who the hell _are_ you?" The world suspended around them.

 

_Oh, son of a bitch._

 

Axel could practically feel his joy, his relief, and his calm all shattering around him as his expression fell faster than a lead balloon. _Oh, fucking dammit...Hadn't they been through enough?_ Helplessly, the redhead ran a hand through his hair, then grabbed a handful of it, trying to keep from laughing and crying at the same time.

 

He knew that Roxas wouldn't joke about this. He would never joke about this. The blond wasn't that cruel. _No... Dammit, no!_

 

Swallowing hard, Axel forced his lips into a rough approximation of a smile, slipping the phone out of his pocket. "I think..." he said shakily, trying to hold himself together long enough to get the words out, "That I'd better call Sora." 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited guys; my favorite chapter is coming up next!
> 
> Dedicated to everyone who still downloads things at school or the library to enjoy later, because they don't have internet at home.

Chapter 13

 

What followed Roxas' amnesiac return to consciousness was a half hour of absolutely _unparalleled_ awkwardness. The blond spent the entire time, as they waited for Sora or the doctor or _someone_ to show up, staring at Axel with unknown intent in his eyes. It was unnerving, not knowing what Roxas was thinking, but Axel didn't want to leave. He couldn't bring himself to leave, even if Roxas... wasn't _his_ Roxas, just now.

 

The redhead couldn't bring himself to try and make small-talk, as if he and Roxas were strangers. No, he didn't have the stomach for that. Instead, Axel nervously tapped out a beat on his thigh, trying to sneak glances at the blond without being obvious about it.

 

He looked okay... and he was awake. Whatever else happened, at least that was something.

 

Axel felt like he'd been thrown a life preserver when the doctor finally strode into the room, a clipboard in his hand. "Roxas," the man in the white coat began cheerfully, flipping the first page over, "We're glad to see you awake." Rather than wait for the blond to respond, he continued on, "I'd like to ask you a few questions before we make any decisions."

 

The blond said nothing, though his gaze had finally shifted away from Axel to focus on the doctor. It was really strange... Like seeing a blank slate that had Roxas' face.

 

"Can you tell me what day of the week it is?" The doctor asked, keeping his cheerful tone, despite the unchanging stare directed at him. As he spoke, he was also checking Roxas' pulse, despite the readings from the monitors. Axel liked that; it was thorough and careful.

 

The pause that followed the question, however, Axel liked a little less. Roxas looked as though he was trying to remember some long-ago fact that he'd heard fleetingly and never thought to commit to memory. "T....uesday?" He said finally, tone rising at the end of the word, denoting a question.

 

It was Monday, but it didn't seem as though the doctor was too worried about the answer he'd been given. "Can you tell me your name and date of birth, please?"

 

The blond glanced at Axel, then, before he got that same confused, thoughtful look on his face. "Roxas," came the soft answer, still in that very deliberate manner, "December twenty-second." Axel realized, then, that the way Roxas was speaking reminded him of someone speaking a foreign language; like he had to translate each word before he spoke.

 

"Good," the doctor encouraged, moving on to fiddle with the tubes that remained attached to Roxas' arm, "What about your brother's name?"

 

"Sora," Roxas answered, surprisingly calm and compliant. He was also using single words; the bare minimum that was required to give an answer. Axel didn't think that it was possible for him to get more worried than he already was - and really, shouldn't the correct answers be a good sign?

 

There seemed to be one more question, though, and the doctor looked at Roxas when he asked: "Can you tell me the last thing you remember, Roxas?"

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

As it turned out, the last thing Roxas could recall, after several minutes of wracking his brain, was going to school that morning. Which would have been fine, Axel thought, if he hadn't remembered going to _Destiny High_ , that morning. The answer had crushed the redhead's hope into a fine powder and blown it away.

 

"Roxas seems to be suffering from retrograde amnesia," The doctor announced later, addressing both Axel and Sora, who had shown up a few moments before, "From what can be determined at this point. Retrograde amnesia is the kind that you'll know from the movies." He gave a wry smile, "Of the _"I can't remember meeting my wife, but I can still tie my shoes and drive a car,_ " variety, in simple terms."

 

Axel ignored Sora's glance, instead focused on the doctor. "How bad is it?" He asked, though he quickly rephrased, "How far back does the amnesia go?"

 

"Based on his personal information," the doctor began, flipping over the notes in Roxas' medical file, "At least six months - before he switched schools, in other words - but no longer than three years, which would be before he started high school. Roxas will need to see the psychologist before being discharged; he'll be able to determine a more specific timeline."

 

"He'll remember though, won't he?" Sora broke in, his brows knit with concern, "Roxas won't just... have a hole in his memories forever, will he?"

 

Axel felt his chest tighten. _Oh god... please_ , the redhead practically begged, his thoughts desperate, _whoever is listening, please, let the answer be no_.

 

"Generally, recall does happen eventually," came the answer, though it was somewhat evasive, "What we don't know yet is the extent of his amnesia. Depending on the damage, there may be some other difficulties with his memories; past, or future."

 

Both Axel and Sora frowned at that, confused. "What do you mean, difficulties with his future memories?" the redhead was the first to get the question out, his voice filled with the dread that had lingered in him since Roxas hadn't recognized him.

 

"Anterograde amnesia," the doctor began, "Is the inability to turn short term memories into long term memories. You don't see _that one_ in the movies." The joke still wasn't funny, but Axel didn't think it was meant to be. "It might affect his implicit memories; which would be the things he's learned, such as how to tie his shoes. Or, it might further affect his explicit memories; which are the memories of the things he's done, such as the last time he listened to a particular song," he explained, "The _retrograde_ amnesia seems to be affecting his explicit memories, but not his implicit memories."

 

"What does that _mean_ , then?" Axel almost snapped, his nerves worn thin. The doctor didn't seem to hold it against him.

 

"Roxas may not remember that he's ever seen me before," he continued to explain, "Even though he saw me and answered my questions less than twenty minutes ago. Or, if he were to learn how to drive a car tomorrow, he could forget that just as easily." Then, after a short pause, the doctor added, "Or both."

 

_Well... fuck._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"So... what are you gonna do?" Axel asked Sora once the doctor had gone, before they went back in to see Roxas, "Your parents are still gone, right? And you still have to go to school, during the day. What about Roxas?" What the redhead really wanted to know was who would take care of Roxas, until his memory came back.

 

Sora looked a bit overwhelmed; not that Axel could blame him. "Yeah... they're trying to get some time off, so that they can come see him, but it's not going well," He spoke almost distractedly, reaching up to further ruffle his unruly hair, "I think they might ask our Aunt - y'know, Demyx's mom - if she'll help out, but Roxas might have to just... come to school with me, for a while. I don't know."

 

Swallowing hard, the redhead nodded. _That would... be good. Yeah._

 

"I can... I can still come and see him, right? After school, and whatever...?" Axel asked, more to have something to say than anything else. An entire SWAT team couldn't keep him from visiting Roxas every day, until he got better.

 

"Of course you can, Axel," Sora replied easily, and the tiny quirk at the corner of his lips seemed to be the best sympathetic smile he could manage, just then, "I know Roxas would like that."

 

 _He might, if he could remember me_ , Axel thought to himself, the despair settling heavily on his shoulders.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The new routine wasn't that much different from the old routine, but it was a lot harder to settle into, Axel discovered. Every morning, he'd wait for Sora and Roxas outside their house before school; with Riku, funnily enough, who was being extremely helpful and surprisingly sympathetic of the redhead's plight. For the first week, Roxas went to school with Sora, which was... difficult, for Axel.

 

After school, the redhead would head straight for their house again, to meet them on their way home. Roxas seemed mad about it, at first - not to mention wary - but that was apparently something of the after effects from the coma. He had asked, and Sora mentioned that the blond was snappish and irritable with him all the time too, since he'd left the hospital. That made it a little easier for Axel to handle. The anger wore off gradually, over the first three or four days.

 

However badly the head injury had affected Roxas' explicit memories, they'd apparently left his implicit memories intact; he still did most of the cooking and cleaning. It was part of his own routine... sticking to it seemed to help.

 

On the second week, Demyx joined Axel outside of the twin's house in the mornings. Once it was determined that the blond was not suffering from anterograde amnesia, Roxas decided to return to Hollow Bastion High; providing that he walked there with someone he actually recognized. That was a bit of a blow too, the redhead couldn't lie, but at least he would see more of Roxas during the day.

 

He was trying so, so hard to be patient and stay calm. There were moments - when Roxas looked at him without recognition or when he didn't respond to a long time joke of theirs - that Axel just felt like breaking down. He was so tired of the overly polite and distant conversation...

 

It felt like Roxas was gone, even though he could reach out and touch him.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

On the Monday of the third week since Roxas' discharge from the hospital, Axel had finally had all that he could take.

 

In the middle of their walk to school, the redhead just stopped walking, staring down at his shoes with a scowl on his face. Slowly, his hands balled into fists. Axel was just so... _tired_. Tired of not doing anything. There had to be _something_ that he could do for Roxas, to help him remember.

 

"Axel?" The redhead glanced up, finally noticing that Demyx and Roxas had stopped walking a few yards ahead, once they realized that he wasn't beside them.

 

"Dem," Axel spoke decisively, an idea coming to him all in an instant, "Can you afford to miss school today?"

 

It was so out of the blue that Demyx blinked, looked at Roxas in confusion, then looked back up at Axel. "Uh, yeah... Sure. What's up?" He asked, his voice uncertain. He could probably tell, from the look in the redhead's eyes, that something was going on in Axel's mind.

 

With a smile directed at Roxas, Axel's eyes softened when he replied: "We're taking a mental health day."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! This chapter contains my absolute favorite scene. It was a blast to write; I hope you guys enjoy reading it ~!
> 
> Dedicated to song mash-ups and those who create them, particularly if the mash-up is better than both the original songs.

Chapter 14

 

Axel called Sora as they walked away from their normal route to Hollow Bastion High, asking him to meet up with the three of them at Moogle Burger. "I have an idea," was all that the redhead would say, when asked for a reason. So, when eight o'clock rolled around, all four of them - Sora, Roxas, Demyx, and Axel - were seated at a booth with sodas and fries, rather than sitting through their first period classes.

 

"Now that we're all here..." Sora began, dipping a fry into the ketchup cup, "Why _are_ we all here, Axel?" He was sitting next to his blond twin, and each of them were watching Axel; one with confusion and the other with quiet... interest? Axel hoped it was interest, rather than dislike.

 

The redhead had been carefully deciding what to say ever since he called the brunet with his crazy idea, so he wasn't unprepared; just a little nervous. "The doctor told us that the anterograde amnesia was an inability to store short term memories into long term, right?" He began, though he was cut off by Demyx.

 

"I thought you said that Roxas had retrograde amnesia?" He asked, taking a drink of his weird-ass mixed fountain drink; it had a single pump of each and every one of the fifty-two flavors available at Moogle Burger.

 

"I'm getting to that," Axel explained with remarkable patience, before continuing, "Anyway, the point is that it's the _inability_ , right? And we know that most amnesiacs regain their memories eventually... So," This was the crux of his plan, "What if retrograde amnesia is just the inability to access the long term memories? And what if... we tried to help it along?" The redhead tried to grin encouragingly, but he could tell that he'd lost his audience.

 

"He means..." Roxas spoke up, for the first time that morning, "That you should do something to help me remember the last year and a half." Looking up, his gaze locked with Axel's own, and the redhead felt his heart skip a beat. "By telling me about it, I'm guessing?"

 

Axel's grin became genuine; even without those memories, Roxas was becoming more and more like the Roxas he had known. "That's right," the redhead agreed, resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle his hair, "I think that if we told you about the time you're missing, the memories might just... click into place. Y'know?"

 

Roxas smiled slightly, but that was his only response.

 

"It's worth a shot," Demyx agreed, chowing down on his basket of fries now, "Sora can handle the stuff before Roxas transferred, then I can pick it up from there, and Axel can fill in the rest from there." He pointed at Roxas with a french fry and grinned brightly, "Between the three of us, we'll have you remembering everything in no time!"

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

So, that was what they did. Sora started things off, just as Demyx had suggested, with an account of Roxas' life when he was still attending Destiny High. It was... not an abridged version. Though, Axel mused as they listened to what felt like the same story for the fifth time, that might be better in the long run.

 

From what he heard, the redhead gathered that Roxas spent most of his time at his old school following Sora and Sora's friends around. Not in the _desperate fanboy_ sense, but more as a background character; reading a book while everyone else laughed at the TV on movie night, or staring off into the distance while they swam at the beach... stuff like that. It was kind of sad to think about.

 

It also wasn't anything that Roxas didn't already know, judging from the look on the blond's face, even if he couldn't completely remember it. His gaze wandered every so often, but then it snapped back to Sora every time his eyes fell on Axel. What was _that_ about?

 

The hours wore on as the brunet continued and the other three listened, with increasing levels of boredom. They had each gone through several drink refills, as well as multiple baskets of fries, onion rings, and even burgers. Still, Sora showed no signs of stopping.

 

"And then," he went on, oblivious to the growing restlessness of his audience, "You told me that you wanted to transfer to Hollow Bastion High!"

 

At that, Axel found himself interested. He knew that Roxas had transferred, of course, because that was how he'd met him... but the redhead had never heard the reason. To his surprise, it seemed that Roxas didn't know the reason, either.

 

"Why, though?" He broke in, finally interrupting Sora's narrative, much to Axel's relief, "Why did I transfer schools out of the blue like that?"

 

"I dunno," Sora admitted, though he was distracted, then, by a buzzing from his phone, "From what you told me, you just wanted a change of scenery. Something about how you were stuck in the same old routine, or something." With a glance at his phone screen, the brunet balked, then rose suddenly to his feet.

 

Axel blinked, "What's wrong?"

 

"I forgot," Sora practically whimpered, looking blank as he stared at his phone, "Today was my appointment with the dean of Destiny University..." Now almost frantic, he looked at Roxas, beseeching, "Roxas, I gotta go - Riku is on his way here to get me - will you be okay with Demyx and Axel, or do you wanna come with?"

 

Shaking his head, Roxas gestured vaguely toward the door, "You go, I'll be fine. I'd like to hear more."

 

"You're the best!" Sora said quickly, practically exploding out of the booth. "I'll see you later!" he called to his twin as he ran for the door, leaving his food wrappers behind. Riku's car was already out front, engine still running.

 

"What a whirlwind," Roxas commented neutrally, as he gathered up Sora's trash, walking it to the garbage can. He seemed completely unaware that Axel had been the one who first gave Sora that nickname.

 

Still... hearing him say it gave the redhead a smidgen of hope back.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"Your turn," Axel pointed at Demyx, once they'd all been refreshed with soda and food once again, partially just to keep the staff at Moogle Burger from throwing them out, "Do _you_ know why Roxas transferred to Hollow Bastion High?" He was sitting next to Roxas, now, because Demyx had sprawled out across the other seat, taking up the whole thing.

 

Demyx brushed a hand through his hair, reaching for an onion ring and dipping it in ranch before he spoke. "Yeah," he admitted, though he seemed a little apprehensive, "But I sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up while Sora was here."

 

Roxas seemed to have been thinking the same thing, because he turned to look at Demyx, asking, "Did it get bad?"

 

Both Axel's eyebrows rose. _Had what gotten bad?_ The redhead glanced between Roxas and Demyx, hoping that one or the other would explain, rather than leaving him in the dark along with Sora. He almost lost patience and just asked, but then Demyx started talking.

 

"Yeah," he nodded once, still looking uncomfortable, "You... don't usually call me, but one night you sent me this long text." Demyx glanced at Axel, then away, guiltily. "You told me that you couldn't keep living in Sora's shadow. That you couldn't take it anymore," He took a deep breath, stalling, as though he really didn't want to say the next part, "I talked you down from suicide, Roxas."

 

That morning, Axel would have said that his world was already shattered so badly that nothing could phase him. Turns out, he would have been dead wrong. Haha, dead wrong. Dead. _Funny_.

 

Roxas, on the other hand, just nodded. As though he had totally expected to hear that he'd nearly killed himself. "That sounds about right," he agreed, his voice so damnably neutral that the redhead wanted to grab his shoulders and shake him, "I can remember disassociating a lot... It was like my body wasn't mine, sometimes." Roxas' gaze went a little distant, "I figured that I'd jump off the clock tower, when it got to be too much."

 

Slowly, Axel's hands started shaking. Their spot... The clock tower...? That had been Roxas' _suicide plan?_ And he brought Axel up there with him. To hang out. _All the time._ Oh, he was bringing that up later, once the blond had his memories back. Not now - that wouldn't be fair - but later? Definitely.

  
Though Demyx nodded in return, he kept a wary eye on Axel, rather than Roxas. "I convinced you to come to Hollow Bastion High instead; a fresh start, and all that," he continued, his words directed at his cousin, though it seemed as though he was saying them for Axel's sake at this point, "I even invited you to hang out with me and Zex, but you said that you didn't want to go from - "

 

The blond interrupted, " - from _Sora's brother_ to _Demyx's cousin_. Yeah, that's definitely something I would say." Roxas began to fiddle with the band around his left wrist, staring at it. "That's what I would have been too, if I'd switched from Sora's group of friends to your group of friends."

 

"I don't know about that... But you did seem happier," Demyx murmured, "Even just... being on your own, you seemed happier. So I didn't say anything, but I checked up on you every Friday, through texts."

 

At that, Roxas gave that wry little smile; the one he'd picked up again, since the incident. "I can imagine I was," He agreed, tapping a frech fry thoughfully against the side of his paper coke cup, "Sora is..." the blond sighed, dropping the fry back into the basket, "I love him - he's my twin - but... I could never compete with Sora."

 

"What the fuck are you _talking_ about?" Axel cut in before he could stop himself, his voice dark with rising anger.

 

Slowly, almost painfully so, Roxas shifted his gaze, looking up at Axel with a clear challenge in his beautiful blue eyes. On the other side of the table, Demyx seemed to sink into his seat, as if he could hunker down and hide from the small blond's impending wrath.

 

" _What_ did you say?" Roxas intoned dangerously, his tone just as hard as the redhead's own had been.

 

"I said..." Axel began slowly, staring down at Roxas as he repeated himself, "What. _The fuck_. Are you talking about?" He laughed, once; a joyless sound. "You couldn't compete with Sora? Why the hell would you even need to try? You're _ten times better_ than he is."

 

The redhead was angry, now. He was so sick and tired of... _this_. It had been bad enough when Sora had belittled Roxas, however unintentionally, but Axel sure as hell wasn't about to sit around and let the blond belittle himself - especially on purpose.

 

"How the hell would _you_ know?" Roxas asked almost snidely, looking the redhead up and down incredulously. He wasn't happy.

 

"Because I'm your best fucking friend, Roxas. Not Sora's best friend. _Yours_ ," Axel told him bitterly, reaching up to tap on his left temple, "Got it memorized?" It was a cheap shot, but... well, the redhead was good at those. "I am sick and _fucking_ tired of you talking shit about yourself. You're amazing, Roxas; get it through that thick skull of yours."

 

Roxas was pissed now too, it was plain to see. Demyx was just scared shitless, at this point. "Guys..." he tried to intervene, his tone placating. Neither the blond or the redhead would be mollified.

 

"You don't know _anything_. Sora is the _sun_ ," Roxas told him through gritted teeth, his fingers clenching into fists, "He's amazing at everything he ever tries, and everyone loves him."

 

"Guys, please don't fight - "

 

"Sora's _obnoxious_ ," Axel countered immediately, paying Demyx no heed, "He's too loud, too talkative, too cheerful, _too bright_." Roxie wanted metaphors, did he? Fine. Axel would give him metaphors. "You might not be the sun, Roxas, but you're sure as hell the stars," the redhead raised a finger at him, jabbing it into the blond's chest with each point he made, "You're compassionate, you're tough as hell, and you're so fucking real that... Sometimes? It hurts. Keep your stupid sun; I'll take the stars any day."

 

Roxas smacked the redhead's hand away. "That is _such_ a load of crap," he insisted, defending his twin, or degrading himself, or something, "Sora is the one who's amazing. Next to him, I'm a waste of space, okay?" He was holding back tears now; they were gathering in his eyes, "Compared to Sora, I'm a loser. A total _nobody_."

 

Something inside Axel snapped in two. He thought it must be his heart, judging by the sudden, all-consuming pain that followed. Roxas couldn't think that. He couldn't let Roxas think that he was nobody. Reaching out, Axel grabbed hold of the amnesiac blond by the shoulders, pulling him close and into a  sudden, crushing embrace, despite his protests.

 

"Shut up," Axel commanded thickly, his voice choked with pain and emotions, "Dammit, Roxas, just _shut up!"_ He was shaking now, dammit, but he couldn't stop, "Stupid... You're somebody to me."

 

They were the same words that Roxas had spoken to Axel, when the redhead had been beaten down. Beaten down by the one person who was supposed to protect him, more than anyone else. Fuck... he really was fucked up, Axel realized. But Roxas - _his_ Roxas, no matter how much or how little he remembered - should never, _ever_ , feel like he was nothing.

 

Immediately, the small blond went still in his arms. Demyx was frozen too, by the look of things; enthralled by the drama. Axel wondered if Roxas would throw a punch, now. He wondered if he'd crossed the line. At this point, he didn't give a damn. Let Roxas punch him; Axel couldn't possibly hurt any more than he already did.

 

A moment passed in complete silence. Then two. There was no punch, but... Axel eventually became aware of two small, shaking hands clutching at the front of his t-shirt in an iron-strong grip. He also noticed that his t-shirt was - slowly but surely - becoming wet with tears.

 

"It's okay," the redhead whispered, reaching up with one hand to slowly stroke Roxas' hair while the blond's shoulders shook, "It's all okay. You're so important, Roxas... I need you to believe that."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my defense... trauma is a bitch.
> 
> Dedicated to everyone out there struggling through the worst job in the world so that they can try to make ends meet.

Chapter 15

 

After shouting at one another and cursing like that, even their steady business for eight long hours wasn't enough to keep the Moogle Burger staff from throwing them out. Axel couldn't really blame them; things had gotten pretty intense.

 

"Guys, I'm really, really sorry," Demyx began as soon as they were outside, his phone in his hand, "But I gotta go. I'm _really_ sorry!"

 

"It's fine, Dem," Axel reassured him, addressing him so that Roxas could have some space to calm down and collect himself, "We kept you at Moogle Burger for hours; it's all good." He noticed, however, that Demyx's thumb was already typing a number into his phone. As soon as they were out of earshot, he was going to call Zexion and tell him everything; Axel just knew it.

 

With a sheepish grin at Axel, Demyx turned to the blond beside him. "I'll text you later, okay, Roxas? I'm sorry; I gotta go," he assured and repeated; rambling, as he was prone to.

 

"Yeah," Roxas agreed softly, his eyes slightly red, "Thanks, Dem. Sorry for... y'know." That earned him a sudden hug from his taller cousin, but the blond was released a second later, the look of surprise still clear on his face.

 

Demyx smiled at that, looking infinitely cheered, "It's okay, Rox. I'm glad that we're getting stuff all worked out for you." He ruffled his cousin's hair before giving a quick, "Bye ~!" Demyx waved at them both before turning on his heel and heading quickly down the street.

 

"You know he's gonna call Zexion as soon as he thinks we're out of earshot, right?" Roxas mentioned idly, the ghost of a smile in his voice.

 

"Yeah," Axel agreed, slinging his arm over Roxas' shoulder. It was something that he hadn't done since Roxas had been in the hospital. The redhead turned them both around and started to walk back toward the twins' house, more or less, "At this point, I think I'd be insulted if he didn't. We gave him quite a show."

 

There was silence for a moment, heavy with unspoken words, until Roxas found what he wanted to say. "I... owe you an apology too," the blond began quietly.

 

"You don't have to apologize, Roxas," Axel interrupted, before he could get too far, "You're going through a lot right now, I know that, and I really shouldn't have pushed." He didn't say that he was sorry, however. He wasn't sorry for what he said, and he wouldn't lie to Roxas. "I know that things have been hard."

 

"It's... for more than just today," Roxas continued, unwilling to drop the subject or take the easy out that Axel had unknowingly offered him, "I really should have talked to you sooner. A lot sooner. I just," He gestured noncommittally, "I could never figure out how to start."

 

Apparently this was important, Axel finally realized. Rather than say anything, the redhead simply nodded, letting Roxas continue.

 

"Sure, things have been difficult," the blond went on, apparently warming to the subject, "I can't remember things that happened last month, and suddenly I'm back where I started with my..." Another vague gesture, "Stuff, that I was apparently mostly over. But you come around _every single day_." Roxas glanced up at Axel again, "Obviously we were friends, but I can't even remember how, or why. That... That has to suck, for you."

 

 _Ouch. Understatement_. Axel nodded once again, to show that he was still listening.

 

"And that's the problem," Roxas told him, finally, "I _want_ to remember. Honestly, I really do want to remember you, but I just... can't." He sighed, mussing up his hair with one hand, "I didn't want to say anything, this morning, but I've done some research and... memory recovery therapy is actually pretty worthless. Recovery is usually spontaneous, when it happens."

 

 _Oh_. Well, Axel felt like an idiot now, thank you.

 

"But I wanted to _know_ , even if I couldn't remember," the blond admitted, "That's why I listened to _six hours_ of Sora retelling my life from his point of view. I wanted to know about the person I'd become in just over a year. Apparently I changed a lot, but... well, I guess I haven't heard that part, yet."

 

Axel hummed thoughtfully, considering the problem. "Well, I think I can help you with that, Roxas," he grinned, reaching down to tap the blond on the temple, "As I said... I _am_ your best friend, so I'm pretty sure I know you better than Sora, or Demyx, at the point of your life that you're curious about."

 

Roxas looked a little doubtful, which made the redhead laugh.

 

"C'mon," Axel encouraged, still grinning, "Let's head to your place. We can make dinner; I'll even peel the potatoes. Then I can tell you about how we met, how we became best friends, and about all the important stuff that happened between then and now. Okay?"

 

"...Okay," the blond agreed with a soft smile.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel had never talked for so long in his life. Without Roxas asking questions or laughing at some of the funnier moments they'd shared, the redhead wasn't sure that he could have kept going. He had also decided, considering what happened earlier, that he should... downplay a few of the worse moments, for the time being. Like when Roxas found him at his place, all banged up. And the fact that they'd apparently been eating ice cream together at Roxas' prospective suicide spot.

 

Those weren't exactly happy topics, as it were.

 

They were making breakfast for dinner, that night. Roxas had chosen waffles and Axel had picked scrambled eggs. More than a few eggshells had to be fished out of the resulting mess, when the redhead found himself laughing along with Roxas and paying no attention to what he was actually supposed to be doing. It was _really_ nice.

 

"And the potato thing is a running joke, I take it," Roxas grinned, leaning against the counter next to the waffle iron that he was keeping an eye on, "That totally sounds like something I would do, though; hand you a potato peeler after saving your ass."

 

"It sounds like something you'd do because you did it!" Axel laughed, playfully bumping the blond with his elbow, "I shit you not, I sat _right there_ ," he pointed to indicate the kitchen table, "In that chair, probably with a _concussion_ , and peeled potatoes so you could make beef stew."

 

The blond laughed again, clutching at the counter to keep himself from doubling over. Axel grinned, feeling like he'd won a million bucks; it was just like old times.

 

"So," Roxas began, pausing for a moment when another laugh came, unbidden, "I can see, now, why we're friends... Even without remembering, we obviously mesh well together." He finally calmed, his laughter becoming a smile, "I mean, you're the first person to ever come over for dinner and actually _help_ cook it."

 

That sobered Axel a little, though his smile remained in place. "You still don't remember, huh? Man... I was so sure that telling you all of that would, I dunno, slot all the pieces into place, or something. Unlock all your memories. However you wanna say it."

 

Humming softly, the blond seemed to think about that, for a moment or two. "I guess... I can almost feel something," he admitted, "It's like the feeling you get when you _know_ the word you want to use, and you know _exactly_ what it means, but you just can't think of the actual _word_..." Roxas sighed, his gaze returning to Axel, "Y'know?"

 

"That feeling is a bitch," the redhead commented, knowing exactly what Roxas meant.

 

"I feel like there's... some pivotal piece that's still missing," Roxas continued, "One more thing that's keeping everything else just a little off-center and out of place."

 

Crap... Axel felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, at those words. But Roxas had said that memory recovery therapy didn't work. It couldn't be because of the one thing that the redhead was holding back. It just couldn't be.

 

"Maybe... try to sleep on it," he suggested, instead, "Who knows; things may fall into place while your brain is taking a break." Turning to check the scrambled eggs, which were nearly done, Axel added, "We did kinda overload you with information today, Roxas."

 

Seemed the first waffle was ready too. Roxas turned to pop it out of the waffle iron, and then began to pour more batter onto the hot surface. "Yeah, you're probably right."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Even if he didn't really remember, things still got exponentially better between Axel and Roxas. It wasn't exactly the same - the blond still had moments were he seemed to sink into depression or self-depreciation, and he would blank out on occasion, which was always terrifying - but it was still much better than it was just after the incident.

 

They got through another two weeks before the subject came up again.

 

It was close to dinner time and Axel wasn't already with Roxas, for once. Sora and Riku - it was still so strange not to think of him as the pretentious bastard - had taken the blond with them to see some movie or whatever. He was glad that Sora was making an effort to include his twin, so Axel had sent Roxas texts until the movie started and promised to text more afterward.

 

Before that time rolled around, however, Axel heard his phone chime. Without much thought, he dug it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. It was a text. From Roxas.

 

Frowning slightly, the redhead unlocked his phone, entering in his password - 0813 - and read: _Axel, can you come get me?_

The redhead had been on his way to Moogle Burger, but as soon as he read those words, he stopped in his tracks. Something was wrong. Thumb tapping on the keys, Axel replied: _Sure. What's wrong; are Sora and Riku making out too loud for you to enjoy the movie?_

 

Unfortunately, it wasn't so simple. Ten seconds later, he got the response: _I got up to use the bathroom and I blanked out._ That... was not good. It was soon followed by another: _I'm not up there anymore, but I came out of it on the clock tower._

 

Axel turned and started to run, sprinting toward the clock tower, heedless of the other pedestrians he almost bowled over in his haste. He _had_ to get to Roxas. He felt like his heart had stopped beating and was now doing double-time to catch up.

 

_I'm on my way, don't move._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

True to his word, Roxas was not still perched on the clock tower ledge. Instead, he was sitting on the curb out front, holding his phone in his hands. Only when Axel saw him there, safe, did the redhead feel as though he could breathe again.

 

" _Roxas_ ," Axel gasped out, coming to a stop before the blond and doubling over, hands braced on his knees to keep himself upright while he caught his breath.

 

"I'm sorry," the blond said immediately, before the redhead could get another word out, "I didn't mean to leave the movie theater, and once I saw where I was..." Roxas trailed off, slowly tucking his phone back into his pocket, "I didn't want to be alone. I already told Sora what happened."

 

Well, shit... What could Axel even say to that?

 

Before he'd even stopped panting, the redhead moved to Roxas' side, collapsing to sit on the curb beside him. "It's not... your fault," Axel tried to be reassuring, but he was still so short of breath, "What - " Finally, he drew a deep breath, "What caused it? Did something set you off, or... do they just _happen_?"

 

"They just happen," came the tight response. Catching the tone, Axel turned his head slightly, catching sight of Roxas out of the corner of his eyes. The blond's eyes were watery, but he was holding the tears back; that explained it...

 

Before Axel could say anything, reassuring or stupid or otherwise, Roxas burst out, almost sounding defensive, "I don't want this to happen anymore!" Clenching his teeth, the blond averted his gaze, staring in the exact opposite direction, "I want to _remember_ , Axel... I'm so sick of this stupid... - _fragile_ bullshit!"

 

"You aren't fragile," Axel cut him off, trying to keep his voice calm, "This is not your fault. Just relax, Roxas. No one blames you for what happened to you." No, the redhead blamed _himself_ , but that wasn't going to help just now either.

 

"I thought I was okay," Roxas continued, as though he hadn't heard the redhead - maybe he hadn't even been listening. "Things were finally starting to feel _normal_... but then my mind goes and makes me do this shit, and I don't even know why." Then, more frustrated, "Something's _missing!_ "

 

_Well... fuck._

 

"Roxas," Axel began, a soft sigh in his voice as he turned to face him. " _No_ ," He said more firmly, when he saw that the blond was about to cut him off, "Roxas, _seriously_ , listen. I have... a story, for you. You need to hear it."

 

So, the redhead launched into retelling the one memory, the one incident that he'd held back from his best friend; trying to spare him the pain of it may have caused the even worse pain he was in now, and Axel couldn't handle that. He added in details that he'd heard from Demyx later - like Roxas punching the jacaranda tree and leading the charge to his house - as well as little bits and pieces that only Axel had known.

 

"When I opened the door..." he continued softly, trying not to get lost in the memory of it, himself, "You were standing there. You saw me... broken, Roxas." Glancing at the blond, Axel saw that Roxas was staring at him with rapt attention. "My lip was busted... I had a shiner the size of a baseball, and bruises everywhere," the redhead tried to keep his tone as even as possible, "And do you know what you did?"

 

Axel hadn't expected an answer, but the blond spoke anyway.

 

"I... I saw you," Roxas whispered, his own voice cracking, "And I just... _Oh fuck_ , Axel..." Wincing, the blond brought his hands up to his head, holding on as though his skull was splitting open, "Fuck!"

 

"Roxas?" the redhead pivoted, reaching out for the blond, " _Roxas?!_ What's wrong? Hey!" His hands clasped around Roxas' shoulders, trying to hold him steady. It didn't seem to be making a difference; the blond had gritted his teeth to try and stop the pained noises, but Axel heard them all anyway. "Roxas!" That time, he got no response.

 

Axel grabbed the phone from Roxas' pocket - logic apparently no longer working in a crisis, since his own phone was sitting on the curb next to him - and dialed instinctively.

 

"Nine-one-one; what's the nature of your emergenc - "

 

"We're in front of the Old Town clock tower," Axel shouted into the phone, trying to talk and hold onto Roxas at the same time, "Something's wrong! My friend is having an episode, or something - we need an ambulance!" And then, the redhead had no more attention to spare on the dispatcher.

 

Roxas collapsed against him, still spasming and grimacing in pain. "Roxas?! _Roxas!_ "


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kairi and Namine make an appearance!
> 
> When I first posted this chapter, I was struggling with a sudden surge of depression, so my dedication was pretty pessimistic. I'm feeling better now and ready to change that.
> 
> This chapter is now dedicated to experimenting with recipes. Some of my favorite foods came about by total accident.

Chapter 16

 

It took the combined nagging of Demyx, Zexion, Sora, _and_ Riku to make Axel leave the chair stationed next to the hospital bed. The redhead wasn't the slightest bit happy about leaving Roxas' side, no matter how valid their points were. He could eat and sleep once Roxas was awake and home, safe.

 

Still, even all of their pushing couldn't make Axel leave the hospital grounds.

 

Morosely, Axel wandered down the hall to the elevator - there were three of them, on this floor alone, that all seemed to lead to different sealed-off areas within the hospital - vaguely planning to find the cafeteria. The redhead privately thought, perhaps a tad morbidly, that a bar would be an interesting addition to the hospital amenities; let the patient's heartbroken friends and family drown their sorrows while they waited for miracles.

 

Miracles. Axel blinked, glancing up, and he saw a flash of blonde hair round the corner ahead of him, disappearing suddenly from sight. ....No way. No fucking way.

 

In shocked desperation, Axel took off like a shot, sprinting after... whatever he'd seen. It couldn't be Roxas; that would just be too ridiculous. Still, he couldn't help but follow; like a desperate man in the desert chasing a mirage.

 

"Rox - " the redhead began, just as he charged around the corner...

 

...Scaring the crap out of two teenage girls in hospital assistant uniforms. One of them - a redhead herself - grabbed the other girl's arm and screamed. The other girl - the one with blonde hair so similar to Roxas' color - gasped, then froze like a startled rabbit; eyes wide and fearful.

 

 _Shit_.

 

"Uh, sorry," Axel apologized, looking more heartbroken than he even realized, "I thought you were... someone else. Sorry." Averting his gaze, Axel found that they were next to the elevators; the girls must have been heading to a lower or upper floor, as well. "Are you going up, or down?" He asked, trying desperately to appear like less of a freak.

 

Neither answered, for a moment. Finally, the tiny blonde - seriously, she was so small, how was she more than twelve years old? - spoke up hesitantly, "Down... please."

 

Reaching out, Axel jabbed a finger at the down arrow button, refusing to look at either of the volunteer girls as they waited. The silence dragged on and on, worse than any he could remember. Worse, even, than the one between himself and Roxas, when the blond had woken up with amnesia.

 

The wait was bad. The ride down neared epic levels of awkward.

 

Apparently, it was so bad that one of the girls finally took pity on Axel, venturing to break the silence. "Who were you hoping to see?" the blonde girl asked, very softly, looking over at Axel out of the corner of her eyes.

 

Glancing over at the two of them, Axel saw the blonde looking sympathetic, while the redhead watched him warily - as though he was an escapee from the psyche ward. Not that he could blame her, at this point. After such a scare, he supposed an explanation wasn't too much for either of them to ask.

 

"Your hair... My best friend has almost the exact same shade of blond," Axel explained, turning to stare at the glowing numbers that showed them descending in the metal elevator box, "He's been unconscious, for a while. When I saw you turning the corner, I thought..." He trailed off, unwilling to continue, but adding, "It was stupid."

 

Surprisingly, it was the redhead who spoke, this time; "Hope isn't stupid. Neither is worrying over someone you care about." After a pause, she actually smiled and continued, "I'm Kairi, and this is Namine. Do you want to join us in the cafeteria?"

 

It was the offer that shocked Axel the most. "Uh... sure," he agreed, still feeling like a huge, bumbling idiot, "The name's Axel, and I... owe you a better apology, for freaking you out. I'll buy you both lunch."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"So, what, are you two... twins, or something?" Axel asked, tucking his wallet back into his pocket before picking up his food tray. Judging from the amused look the two girls shared, he was a bit off the mark, so Axel hastened to add, "You just look really close, and... pretty damn similar, to be honest."

 

The redhead - Kairi - laughed, leading the way over to the seating area, "Something like that."

 

"We're half-sisters," Namine explained, once they had all gotten their food and sat down at a little round table near the corner of the cafeteria, "Our mom works here, so we both volunteer as part of our medical study program."

 

Kairi added, "Namine looks like a miniature version of our mom. I take after her too, for the most part, but I got my dad's red hair. People _always_ ask if we're twins."

 

Axel nodded. He could see that. They were both petite - freakishly so, though he would never say that out loud - and had the same facial structure. "My best friend is a twin," He supplied, "He and his brother have different hair colors too, but they... the way they carry themselves, and their expressions, are what make them look so different. You two look more similar, to me."

 

Kairi and Namine each glanced at one another, communicating wordlessly, before looking back at Axel. "It sounds like you're more than just friends," Kairi ventured, "Namine's fiance says the same thing, about the two of us."

 

Namine blushed. "He's _not_ my fiance," She protested, totally embarrassed, "We're only sixteen, you brat! How can we be engaged?"

 

"You've been dating for _forever_ ," Kairi grinned, teasing her sister openly, "You might as well be engaged, at this point!"

 

Axel couldn't help it; he laughed at their antics. It was nice, getting a reminder that the world at large was still spinning on its axis... even if _his_ world had gone off-kilter and then crashed to a halt.

 

Namine pouted, but tried to turn the attention back to Axel. "So?" She asked, ignoring Kairi openly, "Are you? More than best friends, I mean."

 

"That's... complicated," Axel admitted, running a hand through his hair before reaching out to grab his coke, "I've pretty much had a crush on him from the very first night we met, but I don't know about him. I never had the guts to tell him how I felt." He barely resisted the urge to add: _I wish I had._

 

The sisters seemed to understand the unspoken words, anyway. "What happened to him?" Namine asked, idly pushing chicken and pasta across her plate with her plastic fork. She seemed to be too involved in the conversation to eat.

 

Visibly crumpling this time, Axel sighed. "That... is a long story," He managed, finally, setting his drink back down on the table, "The short version is that we met, one night, and he saved my life. Since then, he's saved me at least twice more." The redhead paused, but eventually added, "The last time he came to the rescue, he ended up here."

 

"We... have time, for the long version," Kairi told him gently, "If you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps - talking things out with people who don't know the situation." Then, in a lighter tone of voice, she added, "If you want to. No pressure."

 

The redhead considered that for a moment or two. Maybe he did need to get everything off his chest... to someone who wasn't Demyx or Zexion.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Once again, the dam was opened. Kairi and Namine must have been finished with their shift for the day, because they sat there for the entire two hours it took Axel to tell the story. This time around, the redhead included a few of the details that he would have omitted, had the audience been anyone who knew him or Roxas personally. Kairi had been right; it was easier to talk, that way.

 

Axel took in the sisters' expressions, once he had finished. "...Yeah," He agreed with a half-smile, seeing Kairi's surprised look and Namine's sympathetic one, "I have the worst luck in the world, pretty much."

 

Kairi, however, didn't smile in return. She leaned in, looking extremely serious. "Axel, I think that you should go to the police," she told him anxiously, "It sounds like the Heartless are specifically targeting you and Roxas after you two scared them off the first time. That could get really _bad_."

 

Axel blinked. It was so obvious, once Kairi had pointed it out. Why hadn't he _realized_ that?

 

The Heartless were, mostly, a group of mindless thugs that preyed on whatever innocent bystander happened to cross their paths. It was unlike them to organize so well or to seek out specific victims... but that seemed to be exactly what they were doing. The method of their attack seemed strange too, in retrospect. An attack from a car, rather than menacing them on the street? They definitely wouldn't want another hand-to-hand confrontation with Roxas, after the first time. But if they were out to kill them, why use a baseball bat? Wouldn't a gun be more... reliable? Not to mention final.

 

Maybe... they had been trying to _find_ him and Roxas? Then, once they'd finally stumbled across them by chance, they had just used whatever they had on hand, which happened to be the baseball bat. Though, why had it taken them so long to find them? He and Roxas stuck to the same routine all the time. It should have been easy.

 

His train of thought was interrupted when Namine spoke up. "You've been too worried about Roxas' memories to think about the big picture," She told Axel carefully, "But it's obvious, to me, that you both really need each other." With a small smile, Namine finished, "I think Roxas would say the same thing."

 

"Namine," Kairi cut in, frowning, "They can work all that out once they're safe... If the Heartless have figured out where they hang out, or where they _live_? Then Axel and Roxas are in _huge_ trouble." Then, as if she couldn't help herself, "Besides, it's obvious; they're totally perfect for one another."

 

Despite the serious tone of their conversation, that made Axel laugh.

 

"I'm serious!" Kairi grinned, before sobering, "About both things. Really, Axel, you guys need to be super careful..."

 

Axel quieted too, becoming more serious. "I know," he agreed with her, "I'll work something out; don't worry... but Roxas comes first. As soon as he's up and running, we can decide what to do about the Heartless." In a darker undertone, "I've been gleefully contemplating revenge since they put Roxas in the hospital..."

 

"Just be careful," Namine cautioned, "What's most important is that you're both safe."

 

"I know," Axel agreed again, before pushing his chair out and standing, his tone more cheerful than before, "I should get back and check on Roxas. Thanks for listening... especially after I freaked you out, by the elevator."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Whatever he'd told Kairi and Namine, Axel couldn't get the Heartless out of his mind as he strode along the corridors, back toward Roxas' room. The redhead's dark thoughts showed in the scowl on his face. Something was definitely going on, and he wanted it shut down as soon as could _possibly_ be arranged. He'd have to call Xemnas and ask for the entire Organization's help. Axel didn't think he could do this alone, and there was no way in hell that he'd risk Roxas' safety again.

 

With those stormy thoughts, Axel reached the room where Roxas was resting. Sighing, the redhead pushed the door open and strode in, prepared to fight his way to his customary place, if necessary... and to hell with his so-called friends. The redhead glanced up as he took the first step into the room.

 

Roxas was standing up, talking to Sora as he pulled a clean t-shirt on over his head.

 

Axel froze in the doorway, his eyes widening with surprise... and then with hope. Roxas was awake. Thank heaven, hell, and everything in between. Still, the redhead hesitated. Was Roxas okay? Would he blame Axel for what had happened, and tell him to get lost?

 

Every possible worst-case scenario came to his mind, all at once, freezing Axel in place. How could he make things okay? His breaths were shallow, afraid... Until Roxas glanced his way, and a bright smile came to the blond's face. Axel's breath hitched at the sight and, somehow, he knew; things were already okay.

 

"Hey, Axel," Roxas grinned, looking almost mischievous, he was so cheerful, "I was wrong; memory recovery therapy isn't so worthless, after all."

 

Axel was frozen for a second longer, the words sinking in. Then, he was moving fast. He crossed the room - it felt like there were miles between them - and then he was throwing his arms around Roxas, crushing the blond to him in a tight embrace.

 

_He remembers..._


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to two of my favorite words: adorable and affordable. Guess who just blew $50 online shopping?
> 
> (My all-time favorite online shopping phrase, however, is Free Shipping)

Chapter 17

 

For the next three days after Roxas' memory returned, no one could bring themselves to even _think_ about anything serious. To say that they all painted the town red would be a bit of an exaggeration, but celebrating was definitely involved. Pizza was ordered, video games were played, and ice cream was eaten. Even Riku took a break from being a pretentious bastard and had a good time.

 

For Axel, however, the best part was when the party ended and everyone went to their beds for the night - a term he used loosely, because it was already almost four in the morning. While the twins' house was large, they still had to double-up; Demyx and Zexion shared the guest room, Riku slept on the pull-out bed in Sora's room, and Axel got the air mattress in Roxas' bedroom. It was a comfortable arrangement, and it meant that they finally had time to talk more privately.

 

"Hey, Axel," Roxas began as he shut the bedroom door, before the redhead had a chance to speak, "Wanna watch the sunrise? It won't be long, now."

 

"Uh," Axel blinked, surprised by the offer, "Sure, Roxie."

 

That was how Axel found himself following Roxas out of his window and onto the slope of the roof; he'd only ever seen that done in movies, before now. When they were settled, carefully braced to avoid slipping down to their death - or at least their broken wrist - that comfortable silence formed between them.

 

Fuck, he had missed this.

 

It was strange, seeing the sky lighten before the sun rose into the sky. Everything had a sort of rosey hue from the glow, and the world still seemed peaceful. Once in a while a car would start up and drive sedately down the street, but otherwise it seemed as though the very air was asleep. Cold, but asleep.

 

"Hey. Thanks for sticking around, through everything," Roxas spoke suddenly, almost making the redhead jump in surprise, "I'm... sorry that you had to see me, the way I was before." Smiling, he glanced away from the horizon to look at Axel, "I was kind of a downer."

 

Axel snorted lightly, "Kind of... but," he smiled in return, "Sometimes the end result - _this_ \- is worth a little extra trouble and mess, Roxie."

 

The blond laughed. "Do you commit _everything_ I say to memory?" He asked, sounding incredulous, but amused at the same time, "I was talking about _food_ , and you turn it into some super deep life lesson? You're somethin' else, Axel."

 

"Everything," Axel confirmed with a smirk, "Even that one time you told me about your guilty pleasure music playlist. _Check Yes, Juliet?_ You're a hopeless romantic, aren't'cha Roxie?"

 

"I told you that in _confidence!"_ Roxas accused, pointing a finger at the redhead. Axel burst out laughing, which only made the blond follow suit. "Seriously," Roxas continued, his tone implying no such thing, "You tell anyone, and the cat will be out of the bag about _your_ guilty pleasure music. Which is more embarrassing; romantic pop, or eighties-themed dance music?"

 

Axel stopped laughing suddenly, looking affronted by the question. "Roxie! You leave Kiesza _out_ of this," He demanded melodramatically, before he smirked and they each broke out laughing once again.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Though their smiles remained, the silence returned once their play-acting was over. The sky had lightened even further, but the first rays of sunlight had yet to appear over the edge of the horizon. Axel wondered, for a moment or two, if anyone else had ever joined Roxas up here, waiting for the sunrise. Probably not; the blond was a pretty private person. Even with the clock tow -- _wait a second._

 

"That _reminds_ me!" Axel burst out suddenly, actually making Roxas jump with shock at the sudden exclamation, "You brought me up to the place you'd always planned to _commit suicide_? What the hell, Roxie? You don't _do_ that to a guy!"

 

To his credit, Roxas looked ashamed, running a hand through his hair as he averted his gaze to the ground beneath them. "I'm... sorry, Axel," He began, "I never meant for you to hear that."

 

"That's not the point," the redhead persisted, frowning down at his best friend, "In fact, that almost makes it worse. What were you even thinking about, while we were up there? If we'd gotten into an argument, would you have - " Axel cut himself off sharply, biting the inside of his cheek. No. He couldn't think about that.

 

"No!" Roxas answered vehemently, "No, it's not like that! Dammit, Axel, I brought you up there because... I wanted something _good_ to associate with the clock tower, okay?" Frowning himself, now, the blond raked another hand through his unruly hair, "I know it doesn't make sense... but being up there with you, talking and eating ice cream, it made me happy. I knew that I had someone who cared about me because I was _me_ , not because I was related to Sora." Then, with a soft sigh, "I knew that I'd never want to jump again."

 

_Dammit. When will I learn to keep my damn mouth in check?_

 

With a sigh of his own, Axel reached out, wrapping an arm around the blond's shoulder and pulling him closer. "You'd better not," the redhead muttered softly, "Because if you jumped, I'd just follow you down."

 

"....Oh yeah, because _that_ makes me feel a whole lot better," Roxas huffed, sarcastically.

 

"It wasn't meant to make you feel better," Axel responded, in a more neutral tone now, "It's just the truth, Roxie. I'm shit at saying it, but I need you."

 

In the resulting silence, he wondered if he'd said too much. Roxas had so many of his own problems to deal with that maybe he didn't want to know how much Axel needed him in order to face his own. Still, the redhead couldn't take it back, now. All he needed was for Roxas to keep on being himself.

 

"I need you too, you dork," Roxas said eventually, a soft laugh following his words, "Just don't forget that, alright? If you're going to commit anything to memory, remember how important you are. Okay Axel?"

 

"Only if you remember it too," the redhead replied immediately, "Then it's a deal."

 

The sunrise was gorgeous. Axel couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up in time to see it, but this time was certainly something to remember. It was cold. He was exhausted, hungry, and there was a shivering feeling in his stomach... but his arm was around Roxas, who remembered him. Axel wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

"Ready for bed?" He asked, once the sun was high in the sky, turning to look down at the blond beside him.

 

Roxas shook his head, drawing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them tightly. "No... I'm too hungry to sleep yet," he admitted, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh, "Wanna make bacon pancakes? I'm pretty sure we still have some."

 

Axel's eyebrows rose, showing his interest. "You just said the words _bacon_ and _pancake_ in the same sentence. Do you really think I'm gonna refuse, Roxie? Lead the way and I'll do my best not to slip, following you back inside."

 

"Not funny," the blond chided, though he stood and began to carefully navigate back to the window they'd crawled out of in the first place.

 

"Wasn't trying to be," Axel quipped in return, doing his best to follow, holding his arms out for balance. Thank goodness he was still wearing his boots; trying to do this in socks or slippers would be fucking impossible...

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

None of the others woke up at the smell of frying bacon, which was just as well. Once they'd added the bacon pieces to the pancake mix, Axel and Roxas started messing around and got into a batter-fight. It was quite the mess to clean up, afterward. The redhead got some in his hair, while Roxas had a splatter across his t-shirt and nose.

 

"Do you think there's enough left to cook and eat?" Axel asked with a grin; he'd totally won.

 

Roxas pouted up at the redhead, pouring the batter into the heated frying pan. "There's enough for _me_ to eat," He answered, careful to use emphasis, "After you _cheated_ , I'm not sure that _you're_ going to get any at all. Even if I have to make myself sick, eating it all up first."

 

"Aww, don't be like that, Roxie." Reaching out, Axel ruffled his hair, smearing a little batter into it by mistake; he hoped the blond wouldn't notice that until later. "Are we gonna wake the others, or are they shit outta luck?" He asked, trying to distract Roxas from his misdeeds with the pancake mix.

 

"Shit outta luck," Roxas chose easily, flipping the first pancake over, "If they didn't wake up at the smell of bacon, they don't deserve any."

 

Axel moved to sit at his customary kitchen chair, "Fair enough."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Once they had finished off the pancakes, Axel and Roxas finally decided that it was time to head up to bed. They left the dishes in the sink and any stray batter attacks stayed where they had been flung; it could be dealt with later. Even a shower, tempting as it sounded, was likely to be put off until they had woken up again.

 

"Before we go up," Roxas spoke suddenly, before they got to the stairs, "Do me a favor and make sure that the fire alarm is on?"

 

Axel blinked, confused. "Okay... Why?" He asked, even as he reached up to check the switch. It was on, and the little green light flashed in confirmation a second later.

 

"Because now that we're going to bed, the others will have to fend for themselves once they drag their asses downstairs," Roxas explained, "Which means that someone else will have to cook. If it's Sora, I'd like to be warned before the house is burned down."

 

At Axel's expression of horror, the blond shrugged, "Why else do you think I _always_ cook?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing the end of this chapter! Next to chapter 14, I'd say it was my favorite. I hope you enjoy it ~! 
> 
> Dedicated to those with generous hearts, who give freely to people who are having a bad day or a hard time. Whether they give a soda, a compliment, or some encouragement... they mean so much. We need a lot more of that in the world today. Look out for each other.

Chapter 18

 

Roxas was adorably disheveled that morning - err, afternoon, rather - when they woke up and traipsed down the stairs to join the others. Not that his own hair would look any better, Axel knew; the red spikes tended to look a bit crumpled when he first got out of bed. There was something on his mind, though. Something more important than hair.

 

A council of war.

 

"Let's gather the troops," the redhead suggested to Roxas, heading for the kitchen, "We can talk while we eat."

 

Roxas raised a brow, but nodded in easy agreement, "Might as well eat the leftover pizza. It's in the fridge." Without waiting for an answer, he set about getting things ready. Not that it took the blond very long; leftovers was one of the easiest meals they could have.

 

So, once lunch was set on the table and everyone was rounded up, Axel inspected his soldiers. They weren't even paying attention to him. Sora was already eating his cold pizza, Riku was inspecting his fingernails, Demyx was drumming a beat on the table... Even Zexion was picking pineapple off his own slice. Only Roxas was even looking in Axel's direction, looking sleepy, but curious.

 

"It's come to my attention," Axel began loudly, trying to sound authoritative, "That these Heartless attacks might be an attempt at revenge on Roxas and myself." That did it; every gaze in the room was suddenly focused on him.

 

Zexion was the first to speak. "I've been thinking about that too," he began, attentive now that his pizza was devoid of pineapple, "Their attack with the baseball bat was rather out of character. Gang members don't do drive by shootings to attack random civilians; they do it to attack other gangs that would fight back if they went at them directly." He shrugged slightly, "There was no gun involved, but it was still a drive by."

 

 _Shit, that was a good point_. "Exactly!" the redhead agreed, pointing at the dark-haired teen in triumph, "Since Roxas kicked their collective asses the first time around, they're pissed, but they're too afraid to take him on again."

 

"And I'm almost always with you," Roxas put in helpfully, "So they can't target you to try and get to me."

 

 _Shit, that was another good point_. "Right, Roxie," Axel agreed again, as if this had all come to him already, "I'm thinking that, at this point, we can interpret their attacks as a declaration of war... which means that it's now an Organization issue."

 

"And a Guardian issue!" quipped Sora, glancing over at Riku, "Right? Roxas is my brother, and I'm one of the Guardians of Heart."

 

"Right," Riku agreed, though he was looking at Axel warily.

 

"Right..." Axel agreed as well, though he didn't sound as definitive about it, "Anyway, my point is, we need to stop waiting around until they come at us again. We need to start pushing the Heartless first." With a glance at Roxas, the redhead added, "Before someone else gets hurt."

 

Demyx, who had started eating during the discussion, suddenly dropped his slice of pizza onto his plate. "Oh my god. You're going to call Xemnas," he accused suddenly, looking directly at Axel.

 

"I am," Axel agreed, defiantly.

 

Zexion wrinkled his nose, at that. "Are you sure?" He asked, his tone implying that he wouldn't take that course of action if it were up to him, "Xemnas has been getting a little... over-zealous, according to - " the dark-haired teen paused, before finishing, "According to some of the other Organization members."

 

"What else are we supposed to do?" Axel asked, irritated, "Dammit, didn't he form the Organization specifically to fight against the Heartless? He should be overjoyed to have a legit reason for an all-out attack." The redhead looked at Riku, "What do _you_ think about all of this?"

 

With a sigh, Riku - once called the pretentious bastard - ran a hand through his hair as he considered how to answer. "I don't like Xemnas," he admitted, "But, I'm tired of letting the Heartless getting away with all this crap. So... if you can get him to launch an attack, we'll be behind you."

 

Axel nodded, "Perfect." Getting up from the table and leaving his lunch behind, the redhead started for the stairs, turning around to call out, "You guys better get ready now; Xemnas likes to get things done fast."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel wasn't sorry for bringing the matter up, but he was even less sorry to excuse himself from the table and head up to Roxas' room. Lunch would be a tense affair, after their conversation. He knew that he was doing the right thing - the only thing that could be done, really, to keep everyone safe now that the Heartless knew where to find him and Roxas. It was only a matter of time before they came back in greater numbers than before...

 

Shutting the door softly behind him, the redhead crossed the bedroom to stand at the window, gazing out at the picturesque street below. It was hard to imagine an entire army of Heartless down there, but Axel knew that it would come to that, eventually. With that in mind, he slipped the phone from his pocket and thumbed through his contacts, pressing Call next to Xemnas' name. It rang once, then twice, before a terse voice answered, "What?"

 

"Xemnas, it's Axel," the redhead spoke into the reciever, his own voice guarded, "We've got a situation with the Heartless."

 

On the other end of the call, there was a pause. "Situation? Explain."

 

So, Axel told him an extremely abridged version of the past few months, keeping only to the most relevant facts. Xemnas might be the leader of the Organization, Axel's superior, but the redhead didn't feel like telling him about his personal life - particularly about the guy he was crushing on.

 

When he was finished, there was an even longer pause on the other side. "Aside from the first incident, it sounds as though you weren't directly harmed," Xemnas concluded finally, his voice neutral, "And you've waited a good deal of time to bring _that_ attack to my attention, Axel."

 

"Harm came to me and mine," Axel persisted, his tone darkening.

 

Xemnas sighed into the phone, and the redhead imagined him rubbing at his temples, the way he did when he was exasperated. "Are you sure you want to pursue that?" he asked carefully, "Think, Axel. We're outnumbered by at least twenty to one. Probably more like fifty to one. An all-out attack is only going to end badly for us."

 

"I found us some allies," the redhead informed him, leaning against the windowsill as he stared, unseeing, at the neighborhood, "The Guardians of Heart," Axel said the name in the same tone that someone else might use to say _maggot-infested roadkill_ , "They're willing to join the fight. That has to help even the odds."

 

There was a brief pause on the other end of the conversation. "Do I even want to know how you managed that?" Xemnas asked, sounding resigned.

 

"Probably not," Axel conceded.

 

"Alright..." there was another sigh, "Hurry up and make it official, then. Saix is here to act as witness for the others."

 

"I claim Roxas as mine, putting him under my protection," Axel said immediately, "The Heartless harmed what is _mine_ , and as a member of the Organization, I call for retribution."

 

"....Very well," Xemnas conceded finally, sounding not all that displeased, "I will make the arrangements and call you when we're ready to meet; expect it within the hour. Then, cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war." With that, the call went dead.

 

_Fucking drama queen, that one. How could he quote Shakespeare and make it sound so... natural? It's like he was a goddamn dictator in another life._

 

Just Axel pocketed his phone, some small movement caught the redhead's attention out of the corner of his eye. Turning, the redhead immediately saw Roxas leaning against the closed bedroom door, watching him intently. Of course Roxas had to be the one to hear all of that...

 

"Hey, Roxie," Axel acknowledged the blond, trying for a smile. It almost worked, though the expression was a bit strained and it didn't quite reach his eyes.

 

Slowly, Roxas pushed away from the door to stand. He strode across the floor, his gaze still locked on Axel, who felt trapped in those beautiful blue eyes. "So," Roxas began finally, when he had closed the distance between them, "When do we head out?"

 

Axel almost informed Roxas, right then and there, that he could forget it. That he wouldn't be going with them to fight the Heartless. That he'd been through way too much and that Axel couldn't bear to lose him _again_... but Roxas would never accept that, and the redhead knew it. Not his Roxas.

 

"I don't know yet," the redhead told him instead, truthfully enough, "Soon." Then, reaching out, he ruffled Roxas' hair, "You should try to get some more sleep, before all hell breaks loose." At the blond's determined expression, Axel did smile. "C'mon Roxie, into bed. I'm exhausted too, all of a sudden."

 

It was the middle of the day, but that didn't matter.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

They lay in their beds, resting and waiting. Axel felt hyper-aware, laying there, listening to Roxas breathe. He knew when the blond turned onto his side, and practically felt blue eyes staring down at him.

 

"Axel," Roxas murmured softly, more quiet than a whisper.

 

Turning his head, Axel let his gaze meet Roxas' own. His memory was never concise enough to capture the vivid hue of those eyes. "Yeah, Roxie?"

 

Very slowly, Roxas let his hand drift down and over the side of the bed, reaching out for the redhead. "Be careful, okay?" He asked, averting his gaze for a moment before continuing, "I don't want to lose you, either."

 

With a soft smile, Axel reached up, carefully taking the blond's hand in his own. "I will," he promised.

 

"You'll wake me up?" Roxas asked again, watching Axel carefully.

 

This was where everything could fall apart. _Would_ fall apart, really, no matter what the final outcome was. Axel would not - could not - let Roxas come with them. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to him again... even if Roxas never forgave him for the promise he planned to break. So he smiled, softly, and let the lie fill his eyes before it left his mouth, "I will."

 

Roxas stared at him, eyes searching the redhead's face for a sign. Axel prayed that he wouldn't find it there. Finally, the blond nodded, satisfied, "Okay."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel felt his heart breaking when he slipped his hand out of Roxas' own and crept from the room a few hours later, leaving the blond asleep in bed. He _hated_ lying to his best friend like this.

 

 _It's for the best_ , he told himself, hoping it would help him believe it too, _this way, I know that Roxas will be safe._

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The redhead knew, immediately, that something had gone wrong. The Heartless were ready for them, waiting in ambush, and everything went to hell in an instant. They had a traitor, somewhere; in the Organization or among the Guardians. They had been betrayed. It was the only explanation.

 

Everything was a jumble of color and darkness. Heartless surrounded their opponents in groups of three or four, overrunning them in seconds. The redhead lashed out at anything black, but it was all too much. Axel couldn't make head or tails of it... until he saw a self-satisfied smirk in the crowd. Vexen - number four. He was the traitor.

 

 _Demyx is going to be heartbroken_ , Axel thought, almost nonsensical for a moment as he cracked some Heartless thug in the jaw, _Vexen just broke the X-in-the-name rule._

 

"Pull back!" he could hear Riku shouting over the chaos, "Split up and haul ass!"

 

 _Good idea, Pretty Boy_ , Axel agreed, taking a solid hit in the shoulder, then against his back; it was a crowbar, judging by the feel of it. It knocked the redhead over, but he managed to roll with it, scramble to his feet, and take off running.

 

Everyone was running.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The thundering sound of pursuit hadn't caught him yet, but he knew it wasn't far behind. And this time... Roxas wouldn't be there to save him.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Axel went down, hitting the sidewalk hard after taking a solid blow to the head. Another crowbar, he guessed, his thoughts drifting, removed from the situation. He was starting to hate crowbars. Boots struck out at him, getting his chest and stomach, his sides and legs...

 

The redhead curled up on himself, drawing his legs and arms in tight to try and minimize the target and protect his head. It didn't help. They just kept coming at him.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

At one point, he blacked out, but that didn't help either; the Heartless were still there, beating him harder, when he came to.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The pain didn't stop, but the beating did. Axel wasn't really aware of when it had stopped, or how, or why... just that it had. His lungs felt like fire every time he took a shallow, shaking breath.

 

 _Roxas is never going to forgive me for dying on him_ , the redhead found himself thinking, eyes welling up with tears, _he's going to hate me for the rest of my - ... well, the rest of his life, at this point._ Axel didn't think that his own would be lasting that long, after all.

 

He had to say goodbye. Slowly, Axel tried to move his arm. By some miracle, his cell phone was still in his pocket; he could feel it digging into his hip. If he could just get to it...

 

The redhead threw up, twice, from the pain. His entire body was shaking and his fingers didn't want to cooperate, but finally - _finally_ \- he got the phone out of his pocket. He had to say goodbye to Roxas. He couldn't leave him without saying goodbye.

 

Two buttons were all he had to push, and then he could rest.

 

One.... and three. Speed dial, and the third number saved. Axel managed, but it took him several minutes to bring the phone to his ear. He could already hear Roxas shouting into the receiver by the time he managed it.

 

"Axel?! Dammit, Axel, I swear to _fucking_ god! Answer me, Axel!"

 

The redhead managed a very soft, very broken laugh. "So serious, Roxie..." he whispered, feeling the split in his lip when he spoke, "You're starting to sound like me, with all the... cursing..."

 

"Axel!" the relief in Roxas' voice was almost tangible, wrapping around the redhead and bringing an instant of peace, "Where are you? What happened?! _Axel!"_

 

 _No time_. "Roxie," Axel whispered again, feeling his vision blur and fade around the edges while his limbs grew heavier than before, "Gotta... Gotta tell you..."

 

"Don't talk, you idiot!" Roxas snapped at him, obviously panicked, "I'm coming! Where are you? Axel, _fucking dammit_ , where are you?!" The blond was breathing hard, for some reason... Running, maybe? But why? He was safe, back at home.

 

"Love you, Roxie," Axel murmured, unable to focus. His voice was almost inaudible when he added, "Goodbye..."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The thundering was back, the redhead realized vaguely. He blinked, discovering that his eyes were still open. Then, all he could see was a beautiful, vivid blue... before he saw nothing at all.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my defense, Man at Arms forged a keyblade that busted through a wall. I just couldn't see Roxas using anything else.
> 
> This chapter was the most difficult to write; things just didn't seem to fall into place as perfectly as they did in the previous chapters. Still, I'm pretty happy with the end result.
> 
> Dedicated to single parents doing their best.

Chapter 19

 

Just about everyone who had taken part in the failed joint-attack needed medical attention afterward. Several - Axel, Zexion and Riku included - ended up in the hospital. The silver-haired teen had taken quite a few bad hits while he was trying to cover the retreat, Zexion had broken his wrist and cracked a few ribs, while Axel... he had been beaten and left alone to die.

 

If he'd laid there even ten minutes longer, he wouldn't have made it.

 

Roxas could not fathom how Axel had managed to sit next to his hospital bed for four days while he'd been in a coma. The blond had only been there for an hour, watching Axel's slow, shuddering breaths... and he already knew that he couldn't take much more. Anger coursed through his body like fire through his veins, making him want to move, to run, to fight.

 

When he'd first found the redhead, Roxas had felt nothing but panic. He'd called the ambulance and started CPR. Now that there was nothing he could do to help Axel directly... he wanted to find the people responsible and end them. Sitting around in the hospital with an unconscious Axel and a depressed Demyx was only making things worse.

 

All Roxas could think about was what Axel had whispered to him on the phone, before the line went dead... and the fact that he might never get the chance to answer.

 

"Keep an eye on Axel for me," he told Demyx suddenly as he stood up from the bedside chair, unable to stand the quiet any longer.

 

The taller blond blinked in surprise, then rose suddenly from his seat with a wince. "Roxas, where are you going?" Demyx asked quickly, holding onto the chair he'd vacated and favoring his injured leg. He'd gotten knocked down in the fight and kicked around a bit, he'd said. He was more upset about Zexion's injuries than his own.

 

That was another source of Roxas' anger - he had been left out of the fight, intentionally, so that he wouldn't get hurt like everyone else. Axel had lied to him. He hadn't woken Roxas up when it was time to move out. If the redhead hadn't been so badly injured, the blond would have yelled at him for the betrayal of trust. As it was... he just had to be thankful that he'd found Axel when he did; before it was too late.

 

"I'm gonna go and get Axel some clean clothes," Roxas answered evasively, moving to the door, "He'll want something to change into when he wakes up." It wasn't technically a lie; the blond fully intended to do just that, once he took care of some more urgent business.

 

Again, Demyx tried to intervene. "Axel wouldn't want you to do anything stupid just because he got hurt," he pointed out, apparently not buying the excuse.

 

Roxas paused, his hand on the doorknob. He felt, in that one moment, a rush of mingled pain, guilt, anger, and humor. The small blond had no idea which one should guide his actions. Finally, he sighed, glancing at his cousin over his shoulder. "Then, when he wakes up... tell him that I'm sorry."

 

With that, Roxas turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, leaving the room. There were a few things that he had to do... and the first one was probably going to feel the best. It would certainly help him work out some of this anger, anyway.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Last night, when Roxas had first found Axel bloody and bruised, he'd used the redhead's phone to call an ambulance. The blond had been panicking, at the time, and the phone was laying beside Axel's limp hand, so he'd used it. In the resulting chaos, Roxas had simply slipped the phone into his pocket without a thought. Now, he was glad.

 

The phone was password protected, but Roxas had seen Axel unlock it often enough that he got the right numbers in only two tries: 0813.

 

Scrolling through the list of contacts, Roxas found the right one just as he pushed his way through the hospital's huge double-doors. Xemnas. Tapping the phone icon to initiate a call, he held the receiver up to his ear, listening to the dial tone.

 

"Eight, that was a fucking disaster," someone snapped at him - or, rather, at Axel - almost immediately, much to Roxas' irritation, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

 

Unable to control himself, the blond snapped back, "Shut the hell up. Axel's in the hospital, fighting for his fucking life right now, so quit being such a fucking _dick_." Then, after a moment, Roxas continued, a little calmer, "Sorry. Look, I need a favor."

 

There was a snort. "You're going to ask for a favor after telling me to shut the hell up and calling me a dick? You must be Roxas, I take it." Then, after a pause, "What do you imagine that I could do to help you after the clusterfuck yesterday? I'm a little _busy_ trying to pick up the shattered pieces of my Organization."

 

"I just need an address," Roxas explained, "Tell me where the Heartless are, and I'll get off the line and leave you to your business."

 

The resulting pause was much longer, this time. "You _did_ hear that the entire Organization and the Guardians of the Heart were completely decimated last night, correct? What do you plan to do with this information, should I chose to give it to you?" Xemnas asked, sounding interested, despite himself.

 

Roxas smirked, not even bothering to control the darkness that crept into his tone of voice as he answered, "I'm going to show them what happens when they fuck with what's mine."

 

Another pause, followed by a thoughtful hum. "I _should_ refuse," Xemnas admitted, "But I honestly don't see a downside. Either you do enough damage to cripple my foe, or you go down in flames; however this plays out, my personal risk is non-existent."

 

"Then tell me what I wanna know," Roxas insisted, tapping the toe of his sneaker lightly against the sidewalk outside the hospital, "Where are the Heartless?"

 

"They hole up in a converted warehouse, on the outskirts of Twilight Town," Xemnas answered finally, "Do you know it? I believe most people simply call it _Old Town_ , anymore."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A few years ago, Sora had taken a metal shop class. When he insisted that Roxas pop in to check it out, the blond had declared it blacksmithing, rather than metal shop. The old guy running the class was ever-so-slightly crazy - letting teenagers work with hammers, blowtorches, and all kinds of other very dangerous machinery - but it had been an interesting class.

 

When Roxas saw that his brunet twin had made a giant.... sword, key, thing? He had fallen in love with the design. Sora called them keyblades.

 

Encouraged to make his own, the blond had forged two of them. One had a more delicate design and looked as though it were made with enlarged, interwoven filigree. The other was dense, and Roxas had taken a week to perfect the etching. They were the reason that Demyx had decided his name in the Organization would be _Serendipitous Key_ , which Axel had then changed to _Key of Destiny_.

 

When tested, both of his keyblades had smashed through a wall like it was nothing.

 

Since then, the blond had relaxed his previous rule of hand-to-hand combat only, just a little bit. He trained himself to use the keyblades, fighting imaginary monster foes in the backyard and, on occasion, ugly vases or garden statues that he'd picked up for cheap, just to work out some of his built-up aggression. He definitely had some built-up aggression now.

 

Slowly, carefully, Roxas lifted the cold metal keyblades from their hooks on the wall, hefting them each in turn and giving a practice swing. They felt good in his hands. They were a heavy and comforting weight. He was going, but he wasn't going unarmed.

 

The Heartless had hit Axel with a crowbar. Beaten the redhead within an inch of his life and left him for dead. That deserved a little payback.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Roxas almost wished that he could have been blase about his plans. He wished that he could put in earbuds, play some heavy rock music, and just decimate every single Heartless in his path... but that was impossible. For one thing, sound was extremely important in a fight, so listening to music was impractical. For another, he really didn't expect to come out unscathed.

 

Like Xemnas had said; the Heartless had completely decimated both the Organization and the Guardians of Heart. Going on his own meant that Roxas would be severely outnumbered, probably by at least one-hundred to one.

 

Though, as the blond figured it, they couldn't all attack him at once. If they tried, they'd hit one another more often than they'd hit him.

 

Still, as he walked the gravel path to the warehouse, Roxas could only think of Axel laying on the ground, covered in blood and barely breathing. The Heartless had to be stopped, and he wanted to be the one to do it. Even if it was about what was right, he wasn't being selfless or noble; Roxas was only doing this because he wanted revenge.

 

 _Sora is the good, pure little marshmallow with ultimately heroic motives,_ he thought wryly, _I'm just... me. But Axel prefers me to my twin, and that's all that matters._

 

The first thug to confront Roxas as he approached was woefully unprepared. Who would have thought that a petite little blond kid would pack such a punch? Before the idiot could even speak, Roxas had him knocked to the ground, immobilized; a hit to the solar plexus would do that to a person.

 

Roxas, one. Heartless, zero.

 

Knocking the first Heartless out of commission served to alert his friends and raise the alarm throughout the area, which was to be expected. Roxas could almost hear their collective thought process: _it's just one grandstanding kid... surely not a threat._ That meant that they would gather like a swarm of locusts.

 

The blond was ruthless, but he also had to be quick. He couldn't spend five minutes on a single opponent, so most were lucky enough to take a single, knock-out hit. The unlucky ones took a little longer to dispatch, but ended up with more injuries as a result.

 

Not that Roxas didn't have trouble. Some of the Heartless came at him with weapons of their own and had time to disrupt his rhythm. The blond definitely took some damage - including a particularly nasty blow to his shoulder - but he never went down. He wasn't fighting for himself, or to prove some stupid macho point; he was fighting for his best friend. Roxas couldn't stop and he couldn't fail.

 

Besides, Axel would kill him if he didn't come back in one piece.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Eventually, the chaos stopped.

 

Roxas kept going. He was breathing hard, the adrenaline pumping through him, fueled by his anger, driving him on. Until, finally, when he turned to face the next opponent... none came. Startled, the blond spun again, taking in his surroundings; there were black-clad Heartless collapsed on the ground like fallen leaves, but not a single one was conscious. He was the last one standing.

 

Slowly, barely believing it, he loosened his hold on the keyblades, letting his shoulders slump in exhaustion. The adrenaline drained from Roxas quite suddenly, along with all of his anger. He'd done it.

 

Eventually, he shifted positions, carefully holding both keyblades tucked under one arm. With shaking fingers, Roxas reached for Axel's phone, slipping it out of his pocket. Once again, the blond scrolled through the contacts, stopping on the last one and pressing the Call button. It rang once before the connection crackled to life.

 

"Yes?" Xemnas asked, apparently guessing who was on the line.

 

"I need another favor," Roxas informed him. He wasn't smiling... Fatigue was all he felt, just now, and it weighed heavy on his body and his mind.

 

"Name it." The man spoke with an air of finality, as though he was willing to do anything Roxas asked, as soon as he asked. He must have guessed what had happened.

 

Taking a deep breath, the blond let it out slowly before answering. "The warehouse is a mess," he began, turning on his heels to exit the building, "I need you to handle it... however you see fit. I did my part."

 

"I will see to it personally," Xemnas assured him immediately, just as the blond had assumed he would, from his previous tone of voice. With that alone, the call went dead.

 

Pocketing the slim cell phone, Roxas began a quick count on his way out. Judging by the numbers, some of the Heartless had run, rather than stay and be beaten down. Once he reached the street, he smirked - just a small quirk to the corner of his mouth.

 

Final count: Roxas, one-hundred and seventy-two. Heartless, zero.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Before Roxas had gotten halfway to Axel's house, the redhead's phone began to ring in his pocket, blasting the theme song from some cartoon or other at him. Without thinking, he answered it, "Hello?"

 

"You need to get back here," came Xemnas' voice, easily recognizable.

 

The blond blinked once. "Why?" Roxas asked warily, already slowing to a stop. He could turn around and run back, but he was still so tired...

 

Xemnas made an impatient noise. "When you went running into the Heartless' warehouse, I decided to call my most trusted members of the Organization. We set a perimeter around the area, catching some of the Heartless and their affiliates who made a run for it."

 

Something about the way he said it caught Roxas' attention. "Affiliates?" the blond repeated, already heading back the way he came; getting Axel clean clothes would have to wait a little while longer, it seemed.

 

"Yes," Xemnas confirmed, sounding displeased, "One of the Organization's own was caught, I must confess, along with... someone who might interest you, in particular."

 

"Who?" Roxas asked in confusion, trying to think. Did he know anyone who had been acting strange, or that might associate with scum like the Heartless? ....None that he could think of, really. His circle of friends was still small and the blond trusted them all completely. Even Riku wouldn't betray them to the Heartless. Roxas knew that for a fact.

 

"We caught Number Eight's father trying to run for it, accompanied by two Heartless bodyguards," came the answer.

 

Roxas' eyes widened. _That son of a bitch...._ "I'll be there in five minutes," he announced, forcing himself into a run, "To what degree is he involved?"

 

"From what we can tell," Xemnas began, apparently quite happy to explain it all over the phone, "He seems to be a supplier... or the go-between, more likely. His briefcase is full of damning evidence." Then, in a darker tone, "It seems that the Heartless were given some highly discounted merchandise in exchange for a hit."

 

Maybe it was the run, or the fatigue catching up to him, but the blond stumbled, his breath catching in his chest. "....A hit?" he repeated, unable to believe the implications.

 

Xemnas made a noncommittal noise. "It seems that the attacks on you and Number Eight weren't so random, after all."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"You sorry son of a _bitch!"_

 

Which was how Roxas - lungs on fire from the run, teeth clenched with suppressed rage, and nails digging into his palms - had hauled off and punched Axel's father right in the jaw, as hard as he possibly could. The abusive, murderous asshole went down like a sack of bricks, sinking to the concrete in a comical swoon. It only took one hit. The blond was vaguely aware that his fists were shaking, but _damn_ had that felt good!

 

"Hm... nice uppercut," Xemnas mused, from somewhere vaguely behind Roxas and to his left, "Though, I'm surprised you didn't tell him off, first."

 

Roxas couldn't believe it either, really. He had planned on doing just that, but... there was just too much to say. "This was easier," he said finally, glowering down at the unconscious bastard, "If I'd taken a whole year, I still couldn't have said everything I needed to." A little vindictively, not to mention childishly, he kicked the man in the shin. "Sometimes, violence really is the answer."

 

There was silence, for a moment, until Xemnas spoke again. "How do you feel about... becoming our number thirteen?"

 

Roxas gave a humorless laugh, still trying to force adequate air into his lungs. "That sounds about right," he managed, lips curving into a smile that never reached his eyes, "Besides, Demyx already has the tattoo all planned out. It'd be a shame to waste the design."


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually managed to post one chapter each day since I started this story. It's silly, but I'm so proud of that. Just one chapter left after this one!
> 
> Dedicated to found-families. Blood isn't what matters; love is. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.

Chapter 20

 

Axel faded into consciousness, barely aware of anything but the pain. The redhead hadn't been expecting to feel anything, ever again... so he supposed he should be grateful. It was hard to think that way at the moment, though.

 

With a groan, he shifted - or tried to - only to black out once again when a stab of agony shot through his left leg.

 

" - school?" A soft voice was drifting through Axel's mind, calling him from the darkness of oblivion once again. The redhead had no idea how much time had passed, if any; only that he was in just as much pain as before. More than before, actually, since he could add hunger pains to the list.

 

"Not yet." There was another voice, closer than the first. It was...

 

Turning his head toward the voice, Axel's lips parted - even _that_ hurt - and he took a deep, shakey breath, letting it out slowly. He couldn't bring himself to speak, but he knew who was beside him. Roxas.

 

For a moment, there was silence. Then the soft hum of voices returned, but Axel's thoughts were slipping away from him again... He couldn't focus on the words. All he could hear was Roxas' voice, and then the world passed from his notice.

 

It continued on that way for some length of time, but Axel couldn't have been sure just how long it had been. Each time he gained some semblance of consciousness, it faded away before he knew what had happened. If he'd been more lucid, the redhead would have been annoyed.

 

Then, finally, Axel was aware enough to actually open his eyes. The ceiling was made of large, white squares... and everything smelled stringent and chemically clean. _Hospital_ , the redhead thought vaguely, glad that he could actually think straight.

 

Moving was still painful, but possible. Maybe. To prove it to himself, Axel slowly levered himself up onto his elbows, tired of laying down. He nearly threw up - his stomach flipped and he felt as though there were butterflies having a riot in there - but he managed to keep whatever was in his stomach, down. So far, so good. When he finally managed to sit up, Axel took stock of his surroundings. Hospital had been right; there were monitors along one wall and tubes stuck into his right arm, not to mention the sickly blue decor that the redhead remembered so very well.

 

Looking around felt strange. It was like the shift in his vision was delayed a few seconds after he'd moved his eyes... as if the room was gently spinning and Axel was trying to focus on a single point before it was out of reach. The redhead didn't like it.

 

 _How much pain must I be in_ , he wondered, noting the IV in his wrist, _to still hurt so badly while they're pumping me full of drugs?_

 

The sight of the needle in his skin was making Axel feel a little ill, so he looked away... and then had to close his eyes, when the room swirled around him. But even with his vision swimming as it was, he still noticed blue and blond across the room. "Roxas?" the redhead asked, feeling hope rise in his chest.

 

"I'm here," the blond acknowledged, which was followed by a shuffling noise, "You did a good job scaring the crap out of me, Axel." Then, closer and in a more concerned tone of voice, "Are you alright? Should I call the nurse?"

 

"Just a little dizzy," Axel shook his head in response, thankful that his eyes were still closed because otherwise the motion probably would have made him throw up, "It's not important."

 

A soft hand brushed over his forehead, making the redhead flinch in surprise. "Liar," Roxas chided, "But I'm glad you're awake." The bed next to Axel sank slightly; the blond must have taken a seat. "You've been in and out of it for a few days," he informed Axel lightly, "The doctor said something about pain-induced delirium."

 

Axel huffed a laugh, "I believe it." Then, after a pause, he continued guiltily, "So, Roxie, I'm... really sorry."

 

There was a moment of silence, as though Roxas was deciding how much to say while Axel was still injured. Or if shouting was advisable. The redhead felt a rush of stomach-clenching anxiety mixing with his lingering pain. He'd lied to Roxas, intentionally... of course the blond was mad at him, regardless of the outcome.

 

"Don't do it again," Roxas said simply, and Axel felt a light tap on his forehead, "Got that memorized?"

 

At that, Axel was able to give a more genuine laugh. "Got it memorized," he confirmed, before he felt brave enough to risk opening his eyes again. Roxas looked vaguely amused, sitting there beside him on the bed. "Don't worry," Axel grinned, humor evident in his tone and expression, "Xemnas will yell at me enough for ten people."

 

"Nah, he won't," Roxas corrected, sounding absolutely certain.

 

The redhead blinked. "...Roxie, what did you do to Xemnas?" he asked, apprehensive and suddenly more than a little worried. Xemnas could be a vindictive bastard, when he set his mind to it. The last thing Axel wanted was for the leader of the Organization to hold a grudge against Roxas...

 

Roxas, however, smirked. "I did him a favor," he revealed, "So you're off the hook. Besides, they found out about some traitor, so what happened wasn't even your fault."

 

"Vexen," Axel confirmed, reaching up to brush a hand through his hair... and encountering bandages there instead. Wrinkling his nose, the redhead returned his hand to his lap. The thought of Roxas doing Xemnas a favor was a little weird. What had happened?

 

"Yup," Roxas agreed, "They caught him running from the Heartless warehouse."

 

Again, the redhead blinked, feeling lost. Maybe he wasn't as lucid as he thought. "Why was he running away from the warehouse?" He asked, confused, "They won."

 

The blond shook his head. "They won the _first_ fight," Roxas corrected Axel, smiling at him enigmatically.

 

"Roxie, you're killing me here," Axel pouted, staring at the blond in question, "Just tell me the whole story. What happened?" Then, as the thought occurred to him, "Did the Guardians and the Organization launch a second assault? After the first disaster? How long have I been out of it?"

 

Humming thoughtfully, Roxas began to tick off his fingers as he explained. "First, I found you and got your ass to the hospital," he began, "Then, I used your phone to call Xemnas and made him tell me where the Heartless were. Then - "

 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Axel interrupted, frowning, "You did _what?"_

 

" _Then_ ," Roxas began to tell the story again, a little louder, "I stormed the fortress, defeated all our foes, and left the cleanup to Xemnas." After a pause, in which Axel stared at him dumbly, the blond continued, "Now I'm finished."

 

"You did _what?!"_ Axel repeated, more urgently this time.

 

Roxas tilted his head to one side, looking smug. "I just told you. I took out the Heartless," He answered matter-of-factly.

 

Axel's head hurt, but that could have been from the head trauma. He sighed, massaging his temples; now he knew how Xemnas felt. "You went... on your own... to beat up the entire Heartless gang... and you - " Axel stopped, looking Roxas over quickly, "You're not hurt?"

 

"Nope," Roxas answered, looking maddeningly calm.

 

The redhead continued to stare at him, as if waiting to see if Roxas would shout April Fools or something, but feeling increasingly foolish when nothing of the sort happened. Finally, Axel averted his gaze. "Sorry," he muttered, resisting the anxious urge to run a hand through his hair, "I just... Not that I doubted you, or anything, but I just - "

 

Roxas cut him off. "Don't worry. I get it, Axel," he assured him, half-smiling, "I know, I put you through a lot." Then, the blond's smile faded slowly, "There is something I need to talk to you about, though."

 

"What's up, Roxie?" Axel asked, his own relieved smile slipping away. What could possibly be wrong now?

 

Over the next hour, Roxas actually detailed the entire story from the beginning. He told Axel about how he'd found him and ridden in the ambulance, then left the hospital in a rage. The redhead listened, with mixed emotions, to the story of the conversation with Xemnas and the subsequent attack on the Heartless... and to what they found out afterward. Around that point, the blond started to hesitate, paying more attention to Axel as he spoke.

 

So... his father really _did_ want him dead. That was... _damn_. Axel had no idea how to react to that, let alone how to actually feel about it. "...You punched my father in the jaw?" the redhead asked finally, raising both brows.

 

"Yeah," Roxas admitted softly, "I lost my temper."

 

Axel smiled, at that. "I can't really blame you," he gave a humorless smile, "If someone had pulled that crap with you, I would have totally lost my shit." Then, sighing, the redhead grabbed a fistful of the hospital sheets, " _Fuck_."

 

The physical pain was secondary, now. Axel's chest constricted to the point that he could barely breathe, he couldn't focus. What was he supposed to do now?

 

"Hey... Axel?"

 

The redhead glanced over at his best friend, only to find that the blond was staring intently at him. "...Yeah, Roxie?" he asked, feeling a little less lost, somehow. Roxas was here. Everything would be okay... right?

 

"I know that this is a bad time," Roxas began, "Like... the worst time, but," he hesitated, "I need to ask you something." When Axel said nothing, the words seemed to burst from the small blond, "Did you mean what you said?" Then, clarifying, "On the phone, I mean. When you were.... After the fight. If you didn't, I get it - you thought you were saying goodbye - I won't hold it against you, or anything. Or, if you didn't mean it that way, I just... _Did_ you meant it?"

 

Adding embarrassment to Axel's already mixed and rampaging emotions was almost enough to short-circuit the redhead's brain. As it was, he froze for a moment, his thoughts shooting back as far as he could remember, before blacking out. What was Roxas talking ab -- wait, that's right. He'd.... confessed. Oh.

 

_Oh._

 

"Uh - " Axel floundered, his cheeks quickly coloring pink, then deepening to a lovely red shade to rival his hair, "I - yeah. Yes. I meant it." He'd already lied to Roxas once; he couldn't bring himself to do it again, ever. Even if he was scared. Or terrified out of his wits. Definitely terrified out of his wits.

 

Glancing over at the object of his affection, the redhead discovered that those beautiful blue eyes were staring at him. Flustered, Axel felt his face heat up and knew - just _knew_ \- that his blush was deepening from pink to crimson.

 

Averting his eyes, Axel forced himself to continue anyway. "Roxas, I love you. I mean, I'm _in love_ with you. I've kinda, sorta, had a crush on you since... the night we first met," he sounded sheepish, "And the feeling only got stronger." With that, Axel glanced at the blond beside him, "I... hope that doesn't bother you...?"

 

"Move in with me."

 

Axel turned his head so fast, his neck cracked audibly. Had he heard that right? "W - what?" He stammered, staring down at Roxas... and the blush on the blond's face, "What did you just say?"

 

Taking a deep breath, Roxas repeated himself, "Move in with me. Please?" Then, elaborating, he continued, "I can't imagine my life without you, Axel. I need you." Fiddling with the hem of his shirt, the blond muttered something else, but Axel couldn't quite hear what.

 

"Didn't quite catch that, Roxie," he teased, a grin tugging at his lips. Everything _would_ be okay, it seemed. Even if it took him a while to get over what had happened, with his father... Roxas wasn't going anywhere.

 

Looking up from his shirt, Roxas pouted at the redhead. "I _said,"_ he began, the pout slipping into a small smile of his own, "That I've been in love with you for a long time. Even after the accident... before I remembered everything? I was starting to fall for you all over again."

 

 _Oh wow._ Axel thought that his heart might burst with joy, right then and there. _That was... oh wow._ His inner romantic was practically screaming with glee and he couldn't stop the bright smile that spread across his face. "I love you, Roxie," he announced, before reaching over to playfully poke the blond in the side, "You are absolutely _adorable_ , you know that?"

 

Roxas frowned and deadpanned, "Axel, I will end your _face_ if you don't quit it." Yet, once again, the happy grin on his face triumphed over any other attempts at expression. Leaning over, the blond very lightly bumped Axel with his shoulder, "I love you too."

 

Everything would be okay. Even if it took a while... _this_ was good.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"Close your eyes."

 

It was Axel's first day out of the hospital - he was so glad to be back in his own clothes, even if all the bandages still made him vaguely resemble a mummy - and Roxas was being very insistent. The command to close his eyes came before he'd even let the redhead into the house; something was up.

 

Still, Axel couldn't help but smile and indulge the small blond. "Alright, Roxie," he agreed, closing his eyes. For a moment, he felt the childish temptation to peek, or at least to tease Roxas by pretending to peek, but the redhead refrained. Besides, surprises were fun and Roxas was being adorable again.

 

When a hand took his own, tugging him forward, he laughed. "You know, Roxie," Axel quipped, "You could've held my hand with my eyes open; I don't mind."

 

"Shut up and get in here," the blond replied, clearly amused, judging by his voice. Once again, Axel couldn't help but feel as though everything was right with his world, regardless of what had happened last week.

 

There was still a lot to do. Axel would still have to go back to the old apartment and pack up his things, then move them all to Sora and Roxas' house. Then there was the unpacking and the organizing... but the hardest part would be forcing himself to go back into his father's house. Maybe the redhead could convince Roxas to go with him?

 

"Okay," Roxas spoke finally, after leading Axel about ten feet or so, "You can look now." He sounded excited, but anxious as well.

 

Slowly, Axel opened his eyes... only to have his vision invaded by nothing but rows and stacks of brown cardboard boxes littering the hallway and the entrance of the living room. He blinked, startled. "What's... all this?" the redhead asked, turning to look down at Roxas.

 

"We went and packed up all your stuff yesterday," Demyx was the one to answer, coming out of the living room. He was followed by Zexion, who could barely maneuver past the larger boxes, Sora and Riku. "It was Roxas' idea," the tall teen added fairly, crossing his arms loosely over his chest.

 

Axel was already grinning down at the small blond, having guessed as much. Giving Roxas' hand a squeeze, he spoke softly, "Thanks, Roxie." Then, averting his gaze from Roxas so that he could take in the sight, Axel added, "I didn't think I owned this much _stuff_."

 

"You don't," Zexion quipped this time, "If we had to move this many boxes, my arms would have fallen off."

 

Again, the redhead was confused. "Then... why so many boxes?" He asked, glancing from face to face for an explanation.

 

"It was Roxas' idea!" Sora announced cheerfully, all smiles.

 

Demyx was looking surprisingly happy too, Axel noticed with growing amusement. Glancing down at Roxas, he tilted his head to one side in clear question. The redhead was ready to be let in on the secret.

 

"I..." Roxas began, blushing and unable to meet Axel's eyes, "I kinda packed up all of my stuff, too." Rushing to explain, he added, "I thought that it'd be nice if we both moved in together, instead of just... shoving your stuff in next to mine." Finally, almost defiantly, he looked up at the redhead, "I don't want you to feel like you're being pushed into the cracks of my life, Axel. You _belong_ here."

 

At those words, Axel actually started tearing up, even as he smiled warmly down at his best friend - his boyfriend now too, he supposed - and saw his expression mirrored on the blond's face. "Roxie, I love you."

 

"I know, Axel. I love you too."


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is; the last chapter! This has been a wild three weeks, for me. I want to thank everyone who read the entire story and who left me such wonderful comments and kudos - you're awesome!
> 
> This fanfiction is especially near and dear to me because it's the first... well, ANYTHING that I've written in over six years. I've been persistently working through my clinical depression and social anxiety in order to do so, as well as coming hot off the heels of an abusive relationship. Still, I did a thing! I hope that you've all enjoyed it as much as I have.
> 
> I'm dedicating this chapter to all of us who are surviving and trying to find our place in the world, as well as who we really are. With all the background noise of society and the pressure to succeed immediately upon reaching adulthood.... it's really difficult. Stick with it, everyone. I may not know you personally, but know that I care, so deeply, about each and every one of you.
> 
> Cheesy as it is, you're ALL somebody to me. ~ <3

Chapter 21

 

A few days after the final box was unpacked and _Roxas' room_  had become _Axel and Roxas' room_ , the twins decided to drag their boyfriends out to celebrate. Moving was exhausting, and Roxas had threatened to turn in his apron if they tried to get him to cook. Still, it had been an uneventful week, thank goodness, so they gathered at Moogle Burger after their schools let out for the day.

 

Just going to school like normal kids was really nice, Axel thought, after spending so much time at hospitals and with gang fights and everything else. It was funny... before Roxas had come into his life, he was always looking for excuses to avoid Hollow Bastion High. Now? Well, it was still school, but it was good, too.

 

The restaurant was getting a little busy, by the time school got out. Since they were regular customers, Axel and Roxas had been quick to order and snag their favorite table; which was, surprisingly, not the one their amnesia-fueled fight took place at. They were quickly joined by Riku... but Sora, who had never eaten there before, was having a hard time deciding what to order.

 

"So you put _anything_ on a burger?" the brunet asked, staring up at the menu with an expression of awe, "Even chocolate?"

 

"Yes sir," answered the young adult at the front counter. The poor guy was wearing the signature Moogle Burger headband - the ones with the red pompoms on top - and looking put-upon.

 

"Okay," Sora hummed thoughtfully, still staring and holding up the line, "But what about lobster?"

 

"...Yes sir," the employee answered again, trying desperately to keep his patient and professional demeanor. Axel couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy; Sora was enough to try anyone's patience.

 

Overhearing his boyfriend's antics, Riku shook his head in amusement before turning his attention to the couple across the table. "So," the silver-haired teen began, looking at the blond, "I hear you got your Organization tattoo, Roxas?"

 

"Yeah," Roxas confirmed, resting his elbows on the table lightly, "It's pretty cool. Demyx and Axel designed it." Reaching back, the blond lifted the back of his shirt up and twisted, in order to show Riku his back. There, across his left shoulder blade, was the Roman numeral for thirteen, along with the phrase _Key of Destiny_ , and a minimalist image of Roxas' two keyblades crossed like swords.

 

Axel grinned, taking in the sight. "It's one of our better designs," he agreed, leaning against the table as if to get a better look, before quipping, "But _you_ make it look sexy, Roxie."

 

Riku rolled his eyes, muttering something about newlyweds.

 

Roxas, on the other hand, smiled softly and released the hem of his shirt, letting it fall back into place. Leaning over, he bumped the redhead with his shoulder - which was his way of showing affection in public. Sure, they had kissed, but the blond was a very private sort of person.

 

Axel didn't mind.

 

Across the room, Sora was persistently listing off another group of foods that might or might not be put on a burger. "What about ice cream?" he asked, trying more and more outlandish options.

 

"Yes sir," the employee repeated, looking as though he would like to throttle Sora against the cash register.

 

"Scrambled eggs? There's no way you put scrambled eggs on a burger," Sora tried, wrinkling his nose at the very thought.

 

"Yes sir, we do." The poor employee was starting to develop the deadened expression of a man who had lost all hope. Axel actually felt sorry for him.

 

"What's the point though?" Riku was asking, in regards to the tattoo, or maybe with joining the Organization at all, "Without the Heartless around, isn't the Organization disbanding?" He glanced at the redhead as he asked, clearly hoping for a definite answer.

 

Axel saw no problem with giving one. "Yeah, Xemnas is calling it quits," he admitted with a shrug, "They got enough evidence for his undercover cop friend to lock the majority of them away for good." Reaching up, he ran his fingers gently through Roxas' hair, "Still, Roxie earned his membership, ten times over."

 

Riku smirked, looking like the cat who got the canary. "So, in the end, the Guardians outlive the Organization?" he asked, smugness written in every line of his body and the tone of his voice.

 

In the background, they could all still hear Sora asking the cashier questions. Persistent little bugger. "What about fried chicken?"

 

"Yes sir," the poor employee continued to repeat himself. He was sounding very obviously exasperated now, not even bothering to hide it.

 

Apparently the brunet didn't notice. He tapped a finger against his chin and continued asking, "Kale?"

 

"Yes sir... We put anything edible on our hamburgers. Have you decided what you'd like to order?" The line behind Sora was getting a bit restless as well, but the brunet had no situational awareness... It was a wonder that he avoided bumping into walls on a regular basis, given this awkward display.

 

Dragging his attention away from the spectacle, Axel looked over at Riku, hoping that his answer would wipe that stupid look off his face. "Well, I've got to start thinking about my future with Roxas," the redhead began, unable to suppress his own smug grin, "I mean, it's time to grow up and take some responsibility, don't you think?"

 

The smug grin was, in fact, completely gone from Riku's face. Instead, his expression went blank, only to be replaced by a look of surprise, and then a sheepish grimace. In that moment, the redhead knew that he'd won; it was a wonderful feeling.

 

However, when Axel glanced at Roxas, to see what he thought of the exchange... he caught sight of the blond's expression. His little blue-eyed boyfriend wore the smuggest grin of them all. Axel quickly looked away from the sight; it was all the redhead could do to keep from bursting out laughing at Riku's expense.

 

Sora's oblivious voice drifted over to their table, clearly audible through their lapse in conversation. "What about... cranberry sauce?" He persisted, having apparently moved on from seafood to condiments.

 

"Yes sir," came the empty answer; it sounded as though the employee was resigned to his fate now.

 

"Peanut butter?" the brunet continued to ask.

 

"Yes sir."

 

Sora snapped his fingers, apparently thinking that he'd come up with a winner. "Okay, but what about paopu fruit?" he asked, grinning now.

 

This time, there was a definite pause. ".....We can't put that on a burger, sir," the employee finally answered, "It's too expensive to import."

 

With a shout of triumph, Sora thrust his hands up in the air as if celebrating. " _Yes!"_ he cheered, getting the better of the Moogle Burger motto at last, "I win!" Then, there was a short pause. "What do I win?" he asked, lowering his arms and looking back at the poor cashier with the pompom headband.

 

"It wasn't a competition," the young man told him flatly, looking annoyed.

 

Sora pouted at him, tilting his head to one side. "But shouldn't I win _something?"_ he asked, with the air of someone who would stick around arguing until they did.

 

"You win the chance to place your order?" the employee tried desperately, clearly grasping at straws and despairing of ever getting rid of this annoying customer.

 

After a moment of consideration, the brunet nodded. "That'll do," he nodded, smiling brightly and holding up his index finger, "One plain hamburger please."

 

At their table across the room, all three of the others burst out laughing. Only Sora, that obnoxious little shit, would go through all of that - all of those questions and topping options and taking up all that time - just to order a plain burger in the end.

 

Axel had to pity the Moogle Burger employees... and he hoped that Sora wouldn't get them banned.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"Hey, Axel?" Roxas spoke up softly, pulling his shirt up over his head. They'd been home for just a little over an hour, but it was already pretty late. Both Axel and Roxas were winding down for the evening and getting ready for bed.

 

Their room was their sanctuary - moving in together had been a great idea, as the new space was a perfect fit for the two of them. They'd ditched the air mattress in favor of sharing the bed, which left more room for all their combined junk. Roxas was pretty good with space and organization, though. Nothing felt squished or out of place - even Axel, himself. He still couldn't believe that he'd been so lucky; his little blond boyfriend was amazing.

 

On the other side of the room, Axel had just slipped his shoes off when he heard the question. Humming in response, the redhead turned toward Roxas and leaned down, coming closer in order to hear him better. "What's up, Roxie?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.

 

"I love you," the blond answered, leaning up so that he could quickly press his lips against Axel's jawline. It was playful, maybe, but sincere. Those beautiful blue eyes were soft with obvious affection.

 

The redhead's eyes softened even as his smile lit up. Roxas was a private person... but when they were alone, he was extremely romantic and affectionate. Axel absolutely fucking loved that. "I love you too, Roxie," he murmured, leaning down to return the gesture - though his kiss pressed into the blond's temple, "Forever. Got that memorized?"

 

"Forever," Roxas confirmed, giving the redhead a soft smile. Then, almost nervously, he added, "You're... you're everything to me, Axel."

 

Axel felt his heart expanding to fill his chest, leaving him with a giddy, fluttery feeling; he often felt that way, when Roxas validated him like that. Reaching out to take his hand, Axel gently tugged the little blond closer, enfolding him in a tender embrace. "You're my everything too, Roxie," he whispered, his lips brushing against Roxas' soft blond hair, "Thank you... for making me somebody."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The End


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